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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 116 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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. mate — to breed
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. mate — a friend
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to bend
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. kick — in football
  18. mate — a partner
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. fork — in a road
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. branch — a division
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. fork — a garden tool

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