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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. game — wild animals
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. wind — moving air
  6. game — a match
  7. lean — thin
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. craft — boats
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. craft — a skill
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. rush — hurry
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. branch — a division
  16. wind — moving air
  17. track — a path
  18. vault — a safe
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. lean — to bend
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. track — a song
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. lean — to rest against

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