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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 124 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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. roll — a cake
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. object — to protest
  7. vault — a safe
  8. wake — a trail
  9. roll — a list
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. mine — for digging
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. mug — to rob
  18. branch — a division
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. object — a thing
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. object — an aim
  23. mug — a face
  24. mug — a cup

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