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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. branch — a division
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. vault — a safe
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. squash — to crush
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rock — music
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. rest — what's left
  14. squash — the sport
  15. pitch — completely
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. lie — to recline
  23. rock — a stone
  24. mark — a grade

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