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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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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: pop · calf · coach · branch · fan · wax · vault · trunk

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. wax — to grow
  3. vault — a safe
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. branch — a division
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. pop — soda
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. pop — music
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. pop — to visit
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. calf — of the leg

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