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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 116 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: lie · bat · lean · present · branch · bulb · spell · wax

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. present — the time now
  3. spell — a short time
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. present — a gift
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. spell — magic
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. present — there
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bat — the animal
  18. spell — letters
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. branch — a division
  21. wax — to grow
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. bulb — for light

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