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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mug · game · vault · wax · fine · calf · bat · branch

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. vault — a safe
  3. fine — high quality
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. mug — a face
  6. mug — a cup
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. mug — to rob
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bat — the animal
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. branch — a division
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fine — all right
  19. wax — to grow
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. game — wild animals
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. game — a match

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