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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. present — the time now
  3. pit — a hole
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. present — there
  7. land — to come down
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — hurry
  13. present — a gift
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — in a race
  17. land — a country
  18. branch — a division
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. land — ground
  24. sharp — clever

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