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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 124 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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. branch — a division
  3. spell — magic
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. spell — a short time
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. spell — letters
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. vault — a safe
  12. hand — in cards
  13. bound — obliged
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. pass — a permit
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bound — certain

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