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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bound — certain
  3. charge — electricity
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. tube — a container
  8. vault — a safe
  9. bound — obliged
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. branch — a division
  13. bark — to shout
  14. stock — goods
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. bound — tied together
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. stock — shares
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. charge — in control
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. charge — a price

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