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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. rest — what's left
  3. track — a path
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. rest — what's left
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. branch — a division
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. track — a song
  11. rest — a break
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — a safe
  18. roll — a list
  19. roll — a cake
  20. track — to keep track
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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