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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cap — a hat
  7. row — to paddle
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. cell — a phone
  10. suit — to fit
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. vault — a safe
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. suit — in cards
  18. branch — a division
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. squash — the sport
  21. cap — a lid
  22. squash — to crush
  23. suit — clothes
  24. row — a line

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