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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. branch — a division
  3. swing — to play on
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. vault — a safe
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. land — to come down
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. swing — in golf
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. spring — the season
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. spring — of water
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. land — a country
  17. land — ground
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. swing — music
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. spring — a coil

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