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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: wake · bound · bay · bank · prune · lie · chest · wax

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. chest — of your body
  3. bound — certain
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bank — for money
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bank — for money
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. chest — a box
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. lie — to recline
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bank — of a river
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bound — obliged
  20. prune — to trim
  21. wax — to grow
  22. prune — to trim
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bound — tied together

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