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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. branch — a division
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bulb — for light
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. lie — to recline
  23. foot — a measure
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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