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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. shower — rain
  4. shower — to wash
  5. degree — temperature
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. branch — a division
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. squash — the sport
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. degree — an amount
  13. drill — the tool
  14. rock — music
  15. drill — army training
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. degree — from a university
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rock — a stone
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — a safe
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. drill — a practice
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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