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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. row — to paddle
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. lean — thin
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. row — a line
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. fall — to drop
  10. lean — to bend
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. tear — from crying
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. fall — the season
  17. tear — from crying
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. tear — to rip
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. branch — a division
  24. fall — to drop

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