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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. deal — to handle
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. perch — the fish
  6. branch — a division
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. spell — magic
  11. rest — a break
  12. rest — what's left
  13. land — ground
  14. spell — letters
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. spell — a short time
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. rest — what's left
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. land — a country
  23. land — to come down
  24. vault — a safe

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