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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: cabinet · wind · perch · wound · wax · lie · jam · branch

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. perch — the fish
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. wound — an injury
  9. lie — to recline
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wound — an injury
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. wind — moving air
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. branch — a division
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. wind — to turn a key

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