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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. branch — a division
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. last — finally
  8. hand — help
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — an aim
  12. press — a publisher
  13. vault — a safe
  14. press — newspapers
  15. last — to go on
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. press — to push
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. last — final
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. stem — to come from
  23. hand — in cards
  24. object — to protest

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