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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. hand — in cards
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. deal — to handle
  8. branch — a division
  9. rule — a law
  10. vault — a safe
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. bank — for money
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. bank — of a river
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. hand — help
  18. rule — government
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. bank — for money
  24. mine — for digging

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