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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. branch — a division
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. wake — a trail
  5. perch — the fish
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wind — moving air
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — shares
  15. wind — moving air
  16. vault — a safe
  17. mark — a grade
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. mark — a trace
  23. stock — goods
  24. perch — for a bird

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