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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pop — soda
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. mark — a grade
  6. race — a contest
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. race — the arms race
  9. wax — to grow
  10. pop — music
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. vault — a safe
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. branch — a division
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. squash — the sport
  19. squash — to crush
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. race — humankind
  23. mark — a trace
  24. bear — the animal

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