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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. cap — a lid
  3. branch — a division
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. bound — certain
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. spring — of water
  9. spring — a coil
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. rule — government
  13. cap — of ice
  14. bound — obliged
  15. cap — a hat
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. wake — a trail
  18. spring — the season
  19. deal — to handle
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. rule — a law
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. vault — a safe
  24. branch — of a tree

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