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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 116 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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. branch — a division
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. club — for golf
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. vault — a safe
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. club — a group
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. sharp — clever
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. calf — of the leg

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