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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. branch — a division
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. kick — in football
  7. court — for sport
  8. court — of law
  9. court — of a king
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. vault — a safe
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — shares
  19. stock — goods
  20. tear — to rip
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. tear — from crying

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