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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: vault · calf · lie · wax · rest · branch · pitcher · jam

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. rest — a break
  4. lie — to recline
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — a division
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. rest — what's left
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. vault — a safe
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. rest — what's left
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. branch — of a tree

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