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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. row — to paddle
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. key — the most important part
  12. vault — a safe
  13. key — for a lock
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. key — in music
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wake — a trail
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. deal — to handle
  23. row — a line
  24. patient — a sick person

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