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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.

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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. content — the amount
  4. branch — a division
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bark — to shout
  9. track — to keep track
  10. track — a path
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. craft — a skill
  13. track — a song
  14. content — happy
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. craft — boats
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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