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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. rest — what's left
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. bass — the fish
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. present — a gift
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. branch — a division
  14. present — the time now
  15. vault — a safe
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. band — a music group
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bass — low music
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. band — a ring

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