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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. rash — a series
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. march — music
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. march — the month
  7. wound — an injury
  8. march — the month
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. kid — child
  11. vault — a safe
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. branch — a division
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. rash — hasty
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cap — a lid
  21. wound — an injury
  22. pitch — completely
  23. kid — to tease
  24. cap — a hat

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