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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. branch — a division
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. mate — a partner
  7. wake — a trail
  8. mate — a friend
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. vault — a safe
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. field — for sport
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. cell — a phone
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. field — a subject
  19. field — farmland
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. cell — in biology
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. mate — to breed

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