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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. cold — an illness
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. foot — a measure
  6. bear — the animal
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. vault — a safe
  13. branch — a division
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. craft — a skill
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. craft — boats
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. cold — not warm

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