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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. vault — a safe
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. branch — a division
  5. swing — music
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. swing — in golf
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. scale — in music
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. deal — to handle
  16. shower — to wash
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. shower — rain
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. scale — size or range
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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