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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — low music
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. branch — a division
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. vault — a safe
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. hand — help
  17. last — final
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. last — finally
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. last — to go on
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. ruler — for measuring

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