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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. vault — a safe
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. present — the time now
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wound — an injury
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. bear — the animal
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. wax — to grow
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. present — a gift
  20. present — there
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. sharp — clever

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