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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. band — a ring
  6. band — a music group
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. march — the month
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. rush — hurry
  16. vault — a safe
  17. march — music
  18. kid — to tease
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. branch — a division
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. kid — child

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