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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. band — a ring
  3. staff — employees
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. fine — high quality
  6. staff — employees
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. staff — a stick
  9. track — a song
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. band — a music group
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. lean — to bend
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. track — to keep track
  18. fine — all right
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. branch — a division
  21. track — a path
  22. lean — thin
  23. vault — a safe
  24. lean — to rest against

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