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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: wax · fork · branch · spring · cabinet · kid · bowl · field

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. spring — of water
  4. kid — child
  5. wax — to grow
  6. branch — a division
  7. field — a subject
  8. kid — to tease
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. spring — the season
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. field — for sport
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. spring — a coil
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. field — farmland
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. wax — in the ear

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