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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. net — after costs
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. stand — to bear
  8. net — for catching
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. key — in music
  11. net — in sport
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. branch — a division
  14. vault — a safe
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. key — for a lock
  21. wax — to grow
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. squash — to crush
  24. key — the most important part

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