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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 116 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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. capital — money
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. vault — a safe
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. capital — a city
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fork — in a road
  12. pop — to visit
  13. branch — a division
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. wax — to grow
  17. fine — all right
  18. pop — music
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. pop — soda
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. fork — a garden tool

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