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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. squash — to crush
  3. squash — the sport
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. bat — the animal
  6. cap — of ice
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. cap — a lid
  11. vault — a safe
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. fall — to drop
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. branch — a division
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. fall — the season
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. cap — a hat
  23. fall — to drop
  24. branch — of a bank

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