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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. vault — a safe
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. content — happy
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. last — finally
  10. last — final
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. plane — a tool
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. content — the amount
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. last — to go on
  20. branch — a division
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. stand — to bear

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