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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. wake — a trail
  4. branch — a division
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. key — in music
  8. tear — to rip
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. date — the fruit
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. key — the most important part
  13. hand — in cards
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. vault — a safe
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. tear — from crying
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. hand — help
  21. key — for a lock
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bay — a horse colour

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