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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: mine · dip · plane · present · branch · cabinet · pass · wax

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. mine — for digging
  6. pass — a permit
  7. present — there
  8. branch — a division
  9. dip — to sink
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. plane — a tool
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. present — a gift
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. wax — to grow
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. present — the time now
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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