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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. march — the month
  6. branch — a division
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. firm — a company
  9. cap — a lid
  10. vault — a safe
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cap — a hat
  13. snap — to click
  14. march — the month
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. march — music
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. firm — decided
  19. cap — of ice
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. squash — the sport
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. firm — steady
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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