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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: wax · file · fall · stem · branch · fine · straw · lie

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. file — a line of people
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. fall — to drop
  7. branch — a division
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. fine — all right
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — the season
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. fine — high quality
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. file — a document
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. file — a tool
  23. stem — to come from
  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