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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. vault — a safe
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. wax — to grow
  15. rule — government
  16. bear — the animal
  17. branch — a division
  18. bore — to drill
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. rule — a law

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