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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: coach · vault · wax · nail · branch · lean · bear · squash

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lean — thin
  4. wax — to grow
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. vault — a safe
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. squash — to crush
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. branch — a division
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. squash — the sport
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. coach — a trainer

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