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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. march — the month
  4. rule — a law
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. wake — a trail
  8. rule — government
  9. march — music
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. march — the month
  12. stock — goods
  13. stock — shares
  14. vault — a safe
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. branch — a division
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wake — before a funeral

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