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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.

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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: wave · capital · wax · board · wake · fine · lie · branch

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wax — to grow
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. capital — money
  9. fine — high quality
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. branch — a division
  14. wake — a trail
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. board — to get on
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. fine — all right
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. capital — a city

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