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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. race — humankind
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. branch — a division
  6. root — of a word
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. race — the arms race
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. root — the cause
  11. chair — a leader
  12. pass — a permit
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. root — of a plant
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. race — a contest
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. branch — of a bank

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