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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 120 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 · fine · field · last · pound · branch · wax · hide

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. last — finally
  4. field — for sport
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. field — farmland
  8. wax — to grow
  9. last — final
  10. branch — a division
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. fine — high quality
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. field — a subject
  20. fine — all right
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. last — to go on
  23. pound — a weight
  24. branch — of a bank

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