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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. court — of a king
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bark — to shout
  6. vault — a safe
  7. rest — a break
  8. rash — a series
  9. rest — what's left
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. court — for sport
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. rash — hasty
  14. bass — the fish
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. court — of law
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. bass — low music
  24. rest — what's left

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