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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: leaves · branch · chest · roll · rest · lie · wax · fan

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. rest — what's left
  3. lie — to recline
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. chest — of your body
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. chest — a box
  12. wax — to grow
  13. chest — of your body
  14. branch — a division
  15. roll — a list
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. rest — what's left
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. rest — a break
  21. roll — a cake
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. wax — in the ear

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com