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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 116 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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. season — in sport
  5. race — a contest
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. season — of the year
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. march — music
  11. track — to keep track
  12. race — humankind
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. track — a path
  17. march — the month
  18. branch — a division
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. march — the month
  23. race — the arms race
  24. track — a song

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