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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. board — to get on
  6. can — a tin
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. perch — the fish
  10. chair — a leader
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. board — a committee
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. can — a tin
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. can — to be able to
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. rest — what's left

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