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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 116 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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. wax — to grow
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. lie — to recline
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. branch — a division
  13. drill — the tool
  14. key — for a lock
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. vault — a safe
  18. key — in music
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. drill — a practice
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. drill — army training

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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