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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 has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. branch — a division
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. drill — the tool
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. vault — a safe
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. object — to protest
  11. object — an aim
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — a trail
  14. object — a thing
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. snap — to click
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. drill — a practice
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. drill — army training

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