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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. mug — a cup
  3. vault — a safe
  4. land — a country
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. land — to come down
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. rock — music
  12. land — ground
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. branch — a division
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mug — a face
  18. patient — a sick person

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