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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. present — a gift
  4. stand — to bear
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. bat — the animal
  9. branch — a division
  10. present — there
  11. spell — letters
  12. present — the time now
  13. spell — a short time
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. vault — a safe
  19. rash — a series
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. spell — magic

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