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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. mug — a face
  4. vault — a safe
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. roll — a list
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. mug — to rob
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. branch — a division
  14. spell — magic
  15. mug — a cup
  16. stand — to bear
  17. spell — a short time
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. spell — letters
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. branch — of a bank

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