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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. charge — electricity
  4. wound — an injury
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. date — the fruit
  8. board — to get on
  9. charge — a price
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. vault — a safe
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. roll — a list
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. roll — a cake
  18. charge — in control
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wax — to grow
  24. board — a committee

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