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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. perch — the fish
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. cold — an illness
  8. cold — not warm
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — a lid
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. wax — to grow
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. vault — a safe

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