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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. mine — for digging
  4. branch — a division
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. vault — a safe
  8. season — of the year
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. content — happy
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pass — a permit
  16. lean — thin
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. lean — to bend
  20. content — the amount
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. season — in sport
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. pass — to succeed

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