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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. rash — hasty
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. face — to point toward
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. rock — music
  15. bear — the animal
  16. chest — a box
  17. chest — of your body
  18. face — to confront
  19. chest — of your body
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. vault — a safe
  22. rash — a series
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bowl — a football final

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