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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. bass — low music
  4. vault — a safe
  5. firm — a company
  6. firm — decided
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bass — the fish
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. club — a group
  13. fork — in a road
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. club — for dancing
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. club — for golf
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. firm — steady

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