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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 · game · branch · wax · object · last · trunk · vault

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. last — finally
  5. wax — to grow
  6. last — to go on
  7. pop — soda
  8. object — to protest
  9. branch — a division
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. game — wild animals
  12. object — a thing
  13. vault — a safe
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. last — final
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. pop — music
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. game — a match
  23. object — an aim
  24. pop — to visit

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