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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: branch · suit · bark · perch · content · vault · wax · foot

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. wax — to grow
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. suit — clothes
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. suit — in cards
  13. content — the amount
  14. content — happy
  15. perch — the fish
  16. suit — to fit
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. vault — a safe
  21. bark — to shout
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. foot — a measure
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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