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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: dip · wax · current · spring · lie · bulb · rule · branch

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. current — electric
  7. spring — the season
  8. current — happening now
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rule — government
  13. current — of water
  14. spring — a coil
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — a division
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rule — a law
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. dip — to sink
  22. lie — to recline
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. dip — a sauce

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