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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: branch · tear · roll · face · cabinet · shower · firm · wax

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. branch — a division
  4. face — part of the head
  5. firm — decided
  6. shower — rain
  7. firm — a company
  8. face — to point toward
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. shower — to wash
  12. firm — steady
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. wax — to grow
  17. tear — from crying
  18. face — to confront
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. tear — to rip
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. roll — a cake
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. roll — a list

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