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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. last — finally
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. toast — bread
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. branch — a division
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. prune — to trim
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — an injury
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. stand — to bear
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. last — to go on
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. last — final
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. prune — to trim
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. vault — a safe

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