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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 120 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: perch · branch · wax · lie · mouse · vault · season · chest

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. chest — of your body
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. lie — to recline
  7. season — in sport
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. branch — a division
  13. chest — of your body
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. perch — the fish
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wax — to grow
  19. chest — a box
  20. vault — a safe
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. season — of the year
  24. branch — of a bank

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