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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. vault — a safe
  4. firm — decided
  5. shower — to wash
  6. tear — to rip
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. suit — clothes
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. tear — from crying
  13. firm — a company
  14. suit — in cards
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. shower — rain
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. firm — steady
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. suit — to fit
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. tear — from crying
  24. branch — a division

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