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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. mug — to rob
  4. foot — a measure
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. rush — hurry
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. branch — a division
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. mug — a cup
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. vault — a safe
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. mug — a face
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. wake — a trail
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. plane — a tool
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. branch — of a tree

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