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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 116 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: cabinet · bay · wind · bear · straw · branch · rush · wax

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. bear — the animal
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bear — the animal
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. branch — a division
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. wax — to grow
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. wind — moving air
  24. straw — a straw man

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