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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bank — for money
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — electricity
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. row — a line
  12. hand — help
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. face — to point toward
  15. bank — of a river
  16. row — to paddle
  17. hand — in cards
  18. face — part of the head
  19. bank — for money
  20. charge — in control
  21. branch — a division
  22. vault — a safe
  23. face — to confront
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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