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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.

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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: cell · dip · safe · fall · shower · ground · wax · branch

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — the season
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. ground — a position
  7. cell — in biology
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — to grow
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. shower — to wash
  13. branch — a division
  14. ground — the earth
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. cell — a phone
  18. ground — crushed
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. shower — rain
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. fall — to drop
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. dip — to sink

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