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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: mug · wax · branch · cold · cabinet · bulb · key · file

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. file — a tool
  3. file — a document
  4. mug — a cup
  5. file — a line of people
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. wax — to grow
  8. branch — a division
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cold — an illness
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. cold — not warm
  15. mug — to rob
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. key — the most important part
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bulb — for light
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. mug — a face
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. key — for a lock
  24. key — in music

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