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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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. staff — employees
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. rock — music
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. staff — employees
  9. vault — a safe
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. branch — a division
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. staff — a stick
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. chair — a leader
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a skill
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. rock — a stone
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bat — the animal

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