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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: branch · chair · jam · scale · pit · wax · straw · cabinet

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. wax — to grow
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. chair — a leader
  8. branch — a division
  9. scale — size or range
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. scale — in music
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. pit — a hole
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. pit — in a race
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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