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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: leaves · vault · chest · capital · wax · branch · cue · dip

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. vault — a safe
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. cue — for pool
  6. dip — to sink
  7. capital — money
  8. branch — a division
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. wax — to grow
  15. chest — of your body
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. cue — a signal
  18. chest — of your body
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. capital — a city
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. cue — a hint
  24. leaves — lets stay

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