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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 120 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.

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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bound — tied together
  3. vault — a safe
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — a division
  9. bound — certain
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. season — of the year
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. season — in sport
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. sharp — clever
  18. branch — of a bank

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