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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. bass — low music
  4. shower — rain
  5. charge — a price
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. vault — a safe
  9. foot — a measure
  10. branch — a division
  11. sharp — clever
  12. charge — electricity
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. mine — for digging
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. bass — the fish
  20. shower — to wash
  21. charge — in control
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. bass — the instrument

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