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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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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: chest · cap · suit · wax · saw · branch · season · bass

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. cap — a lid
  3. wax — to grow
  4. cap — of ice
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bass — low music
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. season — in sport
  9. suit — in cards
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. suit — to fit
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. saw — the tool
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. bass — the fish
  16. chest — a box
  17. cap — a hat
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. suit — clothes
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. season — of the year
  22. branch — a division
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chest — of your body

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