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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. tear — to rip
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. pop — soda
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. vault — a safe
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. last — to go on
  13. object — a thing
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. object — to protest
  16. object — an aim
  17. tear — from crying
  18. last — final
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. pop — music
  21. tear — from crying
  22. pop — to visit
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. branch — a division

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