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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. degree — from a university
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bank — for money
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. wound — an injury
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. degree — an amount
  13. board — to get on
  14. degree — temperature
  15. bank — for money
  16. board — a committee
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. deal — to handle
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bank — of a river
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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