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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. branch — a division
  5. roll — a cake
  6. spell — a short time
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. spell — magic
  13. spell — letters
  14. roll — a list
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. kid — child
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. craft — a skill
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. craft — boats
  23. wax — to grow
  24. safe — out of danger

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