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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.

Make a worksheet

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: vault · season · wave · branch · bark · press · wax · squash

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. bark — to shout
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. branch — a division
  6. press — newspapers
  7. press — a publisher
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. squash — the sport
  14. season — of the year
  15. vault — a safe
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. season — in sport
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. squash — to crush
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. press — to push
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wax — for sculpting

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