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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. fall — to drop
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. club — a group
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. club — for dancing
  13. club — for golf
  14. fall — to drop
  15. season — in sport
  16. fall — the season
  17. season — of the year
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. plane — a tool
  20. vault — a safe
  21. branch — a division
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. content — happy

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