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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. fall — the season
  3. pop — music
  4. drill — a practice
  5. vault — a safe
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — to drop
  8. drill — the tool
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. pop — soda
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. drill — army training
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. branch — a division
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — a trace
  22. wax — to grow
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. pop — to visit

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