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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. vault — a safe
  3. branch — a division
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. fall — the season
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. fall — to drop
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. wax — to grow
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. bass — low music
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bass — the fish
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. mug — a cup
  22. mug — to rob
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. wax — for sculpting

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