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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  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. present — the time now
  2. staff — employees
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. mug — to rob
  5. staff — employees
  6. rash — a series
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. present — there
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. plane — a tool
  12. capital — a city
  13. staff — a stick
  14. rash — hasty
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. capital — money
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. present — a gift
  19. mug — a cup
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. branch — a division
  22. mug — a face
  23. rash — on the skin
  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