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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: mug · branch · stem · lie · fall · coach · tear · wax

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. branch — a division
  3. mug — a face
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — the season
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. fall — to drop
  10. wax — to grow
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. tear — to rip
  13. stem — to come from
  14. tear — from crying
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. mug — a cup
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. lie — to recline
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. tear — from crying
  24. mug — to rob

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