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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. deal — to handle
  3. lean — thin
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. fall — to drop
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. can — a tin
  10. lean — to bend
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. can — a tin
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. fall — to drop
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. branch — a division
  21. can — to be able to
  22. fall — the season
  23. wax — to grow
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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