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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 116 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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. bound — certain
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. branch — a division
  6. land — ground
  7. land — a country
  8. bound — tied together
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. vault — a safe
  11. bound — obliged
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. pass — a permit
  15. cap — a lid
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. cap — a hat
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. land — to come down
  21. track — a song
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. track — to keep track
  24. track — a path

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