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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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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. kid — child
  3. object — an aim
  4. staff — a stick
  5. vault — a safe
  6. object — to protest
  7. staff — employees
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. key — in music
  10. object — a thing
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — the most important part
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. kid — to tease
  17. branch — a division
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. pitch — completely
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. staff — employees

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