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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 120 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's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. scale — in music
  3. pass — a permit
  4. spell — a short time
  5. scale — size or range
  6. branch — a division
  7. vault — a safe
  8. shower — rain
  9. spell — magic
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. face — to confront
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. face — to point toward
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. face — part of the head
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. spell — letters
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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