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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. branch — a division
  4. squash — the sport
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. rash — a series
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. ball — a great time
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. file — a line of people
  11. bark — to shout
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. file — a tool
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. squash — to crush
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. ball — a dance
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. rash — hasty
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. file — a document

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