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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. bulb — for light
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. cap — of ice
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. cap — a hat
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. wind — moving air
  12. mine — for digging
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bulb — for light
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. cap — a lid
  17. game — wild animals
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. game — a match
  20. vault — a safe
  21. wind — moving air
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bulb — of a plant

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