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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. spell — a short time
  3. lean — to bend
  4. squash — to crush
  5. spell — letters
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. rest — what's left
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. rest — what's left
  10. spell — magic
  11. saw — the tool
  12. squash — the sport
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. rest — a break
  19. lean — thin
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. bark — to shout
  23. vault — a safe
  24. branch — of a bank

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