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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. staff — a stick
  5. clip — for paper
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. clip — a video
  8. vault — a safe
  9. branch — a division
  10. object — to protest
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. foot — a measure
  13. cold — not warm
  14. object — an aim
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. staff — employees
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. clip — to cut
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. cold — an illness
  22. object — a thing
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. staff — employees

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