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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: cold · wax · safe · current · lie · ball · firm · branch

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. branch — a division
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. current — happening now
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. firm — decided
  9. current — of water
  10. firm — steady
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. ball — a dance
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wax — to grow
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. current — electric
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. cold — not warm
  20. cold — an illness
  21. firm — a company
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. ball — a great time
  24. wax — for sculpting

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