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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 116 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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. prune — to trim
  4. craft — boats
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. track — to keep track
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. shower — to wash
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. fall — the season
  11. track — a song
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. shower — rain
  14. bulb — for light
  15. branch — a division
  16. track — a path
  17. bulb — for light
  18. prune — to trim
  19. fall — to drop
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — a safe
  22. fall — to drop
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. craft — a skill

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