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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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. key — for a lock
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. key — the most important part
  7. chest — of your body
  8. drill — the tool
  9. key — in music
  10. branch — a division
  11. chest — a box
  12. drill — a practice
  13. chest — of your body
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. drill — army training
  18. vault — a safe
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. ball — a dance
  21. mine — for digging
  22. ball — a great time
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. mine — an explosive

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