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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  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. branch — a division
  2. bound — obliged
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. vault — a safe
  6. last — final
  7. fork — in a road
  8. present — the time now
  9. last — finally
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. last — to go on
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. stock — goods
  14. present — a gift
  15. stock — shares
  16. present — there
  17. bound — certain
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. bound — tied together
  23. straw — a straw man
  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