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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
468
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: band · net · cap · file · branch · stick · wax · land

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. file — a line of people
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. wax — to grow
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. band — a music group
  7. land — ground
  8. cap — of ice
  9. net — in sport
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. branch — a division
  12. band — a ring
  13. file — a document
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — a lid
  16. land — a country
  17. land — to come down
  18. net — for catching
  19. file — a tool
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. net — after costs
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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