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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. squash — to crush
  3. club — a group
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. club — for golf
  8. club — for dancing
  9. vault — a safe
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. saw — the tool
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. land — a country
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. branch — a division
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. squash — the sport
  21. saw — the tool
  22. land — ground
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. land — to come down

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