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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 120 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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. vault — a safe
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. shower — to wash
  6. bulb — for light
  7. scale — in music
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. bank — for money
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. shower — rain
  12. dip — to sink
  13. bulb — for light
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. bank — for money
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. bank — of a river
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. scale — size or range
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. bulb — of a plant

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