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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. ground — the earth
  3. stand — to bear
  4. ground — crushed
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. branch — a division
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. vault — a safe
  17. band — a ring
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. ground — a position

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