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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. branch — a division
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. season — of the year
  7. rule — a law
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. vault — a safe
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. rash — a series
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. season — in sport
  20. pass — a permit
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rule — government
  24. wake — a trail

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