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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. scale — size or range
  3. spell — letters
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. firm — a company
  6. race — a contest
  7. firm — steady
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. spell — a short time
  10. bat — the animal
  11. vault — a safe
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. race — the arms race
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. firm — decided
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. branch — a division
  18. scale — in music
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. race — humankind
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. spell — magic

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