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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. object — to protest
  4. wake — a trail
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — a stone
  7. race — a contest
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. spring — a coil
  10. race — humankind
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. race — the arms race
  14. object — an aim
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. row — a line
  17. object — a thing
  18. spring — of water
  19. row — to paddle
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. vault — a safe
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. branch — a division
  24. spring — the season

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