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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. foot — a measure
  4. present — a gift
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. band — a music group
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cold — not warm
  10. present — the time now
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. vault — a safe
  13. present — there
  14. mark — a grade
  15. cold — an illness
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. branch — a division
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a trace
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. band — a ring

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