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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. pop — soda
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. pop — music
  5. bank — for money
  6. bass — low music
  7. branch — a division
  8. vault — a safe
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. bank — for money
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. game — wild animals
  17. bass — the fish
  18. wax — to grow
  19. game — a match
  20. bank — of a river
  21. pop — to visit
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. wax — in the ear

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