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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. branch — a division
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. foot — a measure
  9. ball — a great time
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. ball — a dance
  17. mine — for digging
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — a hat
  21. vault — a safe
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. branch — of a bank

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