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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: spring · mug · pound · capital · dip · vault · branch · wax

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. pound — a weight
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. vault — a safe
  7. mug — a face
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. wax — to grow
  12. capital — money
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. branch — a division
  15. mug — to rob
  16. spring — the season
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. spring — of water
  20. dip — to sink
  21. mug — a cup
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. capital — a city
  24. spring — a coil

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