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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. pit — in a race
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. wax — to grow
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. fine — all right
  9. branch — a division
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. press — to push
  12. lie — to recline
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. press — a publisher
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fine — high quality
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. press — newspapers
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. pit — a hole

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