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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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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 · bound · cap · vault · trunk · wax · face · spell

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  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. cap — a lid
  2. cap — of ice
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. face — to point toward
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — a division
  7. bound — certain
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. face — part of the head
  10. spell — a short time
  11. bound — obliged
  12. wax — to grow
  13. spell — letters
  14. cap — a hat
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bound — tied together
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. spell — magic
  20. face — to confront
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  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