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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. present — there
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. row — a line
  11. race — humankind
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. dip — to sink
  17. race — a contest
  18. present — the time now
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. race — the arms race
  21. branch — a division
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. row — to paddle
  24. present — a gift

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