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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: field · wax · key · lie · branch · bulb · rush · stand

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. field — for sport
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bulb — for light
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. key — for a lock
  10. branch — a division
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. rush — hurry
  13. stand — to bear
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. wax — to grow
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. field — a subject
  21. key — in music
  22. field — farmland
  23. bulb — for light
  24. key — the most important part

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