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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 124 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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. cue — a hint
  3. stand — to bear
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. branch — a division
  6. track — a path
  7. season — in sport
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. vault — a safe
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. track — to keep track
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. cue — for pool
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. lean — to bend
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. lean — thin
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. season — of the year
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. cue — a signal

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