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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. hand — in cards
  5. toast — bread
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. branch — a division
  10. shower — rain
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — help
  14. land — ground
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. land — a country
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. shower — to wash
  19. stand — to bear
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. vault — a safe
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. land — to come down

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