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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 120 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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Word bank
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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — to bear
  3. vault — a safe
  4. kid — child
  5. race — the arms race
  6. race — humankind
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. race — a contest
  9. stock — shares
  10. kid — to tease
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. mate — a partner
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. stock — goods
  19. branch — a division
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mate — to breed
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. branch — of a tree

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