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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: board · bear · vault · row · branch · game · wax · stick

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. bear — the animal
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. board — to get on
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. row — a line
  8. game — a match
  9. game — wild animals
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. bear — the animal
  13. row — to paddle
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. wax — to grow
  18. vault — a safe
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. board — a committee
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. branch — a division

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