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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. branch — a division
  4. land — a country
  5. vault — a safe
  6. drill — army training
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. scale — in music
  9. stand — to bear
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. scale — size or range
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. drill — a practice
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. drill — the tool
  24. land — ground

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