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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: lie · row · degree · wax · charge · chip · branch · vault

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. degree — an amount
  3. lie — to recline
  4. chip — for betting
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. row — to paddle
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. chip — to eat
  12. charge — electricity
  13. branch — a division
  14. degree — from a university
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wax — to grow
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. charge — in control
  19. row — a line
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. degree — temperature
  23. charge — a price
  24. vault — a safe

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