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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: lie · charge · branch · bound · board · wax · bulb · fall

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — to grow
  3. charge — a price
  4. branch — a division
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. lie — to recline
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bound — certain
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. fall — the season
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — to drop
  15. board — to get on
  16. charge — in control
  17. board — a committee
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bound — obliged
  22. charge — electricity
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bulb — for light

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