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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
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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: bass · march · wax · safe · file · fine · lie · branch

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. march — the month
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bass — low music
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bass — the fish
  11. file — a tool
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. march — music
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. file — a line of people
  16. fine — high quality
  17. lie — to recline
  18. file — a document
  19. wax — to grow
  20. branch — a division
  21. march — the month
  22. fine — all right
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — of a tree

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