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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. scale — in music
  3. tear — from crying
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. degree — temperature
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. pass — a permit
  10. tear — to rip
  11. tear — from crying
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. branch — a division
  17. vault — a safe
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. degree — from a university
  20. scale — size or range
  21. degree — an amount
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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