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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. track — a path
  4. file — a document
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. file — a line of people
  7. branch — a division
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. track — a song
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. track — to keep track
  13. root — of a word
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. file — a tool
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. root — the cause
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. root — of a plant
  22. fall — to drop
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. fall — the season

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