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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: wax · root · bulb · lie · branch · swing · mug · object

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. mug — a cup
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. mug — a face
  6. object — a thing
  7. swing — in golf
  8. swing — music
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. root — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. branch — a division
  14. object — to protest
  15. root — the cause
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. root — of a word
  18. lie — to recline
  19. swing — to play on
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. mug — to rob
  22. object — an aim
  23. bulb — for light
  24. wax — to grow

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