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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. branch — a division
  3. lie — to recline
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. capital — money
  8. scale — size or range
  9. vault — a safe
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. cue — a hint
  13. march — the month
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. cue — a signal
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. capital — a city
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. cue — for pool
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. march — the month
  24. scale — in music

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