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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. can — a tin
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. branch — a division
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. court — for sport
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. vault — a safe
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. court — of a king
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. court — of law
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. can — to be able to
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. hand — help
  21. hand — in cards
  22. stem — to come from
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. leaves — lets stay

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