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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. saw — the tool
  3. squash — the sport
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — high quality
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. vault — a safe
  9. object — to protest
  10. saw — the tool
  11. club — for golf
  12. club — a group
  13. squash — to crush
  14. object — a thing
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. branch — a division
  17. fine — all right
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. object — an aim
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. club — for dancing
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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