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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. lean — to bend
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. board — to get on
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. firm — decided
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. firm — steady
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. board — a committee
  18. lean — thin
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. firm — a company
  23. vault — a safe
  24. lash — to lash out

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