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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: patient · wax · mine · rock · craft · lie · branch · deal

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. mine — for digging
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. craft — a skill
  8. branch — a division
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. craft — boats
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. wax — to grow
  16. lie — to recline
  17. rock — music
  18. rock — a stone
  19. deal — to handle
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. patient — a sick person

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