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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. rash — hasty
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. branch — a division
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. court — of law
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. court — for sport
  10. lean — thin
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. court — of a king
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. capital — money
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. lean — to bend
  23. capital — a city
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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