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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. staff — employees
  3. fall — to drop
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. net — for catching
  6. fall — the season
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. staff — employees
  9. net — in sport
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. board — to get on
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. board — a committee
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. net — after costs
  18. staff — a stick
  19. vault — a safe
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. branch — a division
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. rush — hurry
  24. fall — to drop

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