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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 120 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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. staff — employees
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. fall — to drop
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — clever
  7. fall — to drop
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. staff — employees
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. wax — to grow
  15. fall — the season
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. snap — to click
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. staff — a stick
  24. branch — a division

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