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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. branch — a division
  3. race — the arms race
  4. present — there
  5. race — humankind
  6. spell — magic
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. last — final
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. present — the time now
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — for pool
  16. spell — a short time
  17. present — a gift
  18. last — finally
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. spell — letters
  21. last — to go on
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. race — a contest

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