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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. chest — of your body
  4. mug — a cup
  5. present — there
  6. band — a music group
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. track — to keep track
  10. present — the time now
  11. mug — to rob
  12. track — a path
  13. branch — a division
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. mug — a face
  17. chest — a box
  18. track — a song
  19. vault — a safe
  20. rule — a law
  21. present — a gift
  22. chest — of your body
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. rule — government

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