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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. cap — of ice
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. tube — a container
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. vault — a safe
  8. branch — a division
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. squash — to crush
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. cap — a hat
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. squash — the sport
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. tube — the underground
  23. rock — a stone
  24. cap — a lid

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