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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 chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. branch — a division
  4. mate — to breed
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. cold — not warm
  8. ball — a great time
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. mate — a friend
  12. ball — a dance
  13. mate — a partner
  14. key — in music
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. key — for a lock
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. vault — a safe
  20. cold — an illness
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. key — the most important part

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