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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. cue — a hint
  3. ground — the earth
  4. march — music
  5. vault — a safe
  6. cue — a signal
  7. bulb — for light
  8. ground — a position
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. bulb — for light
  14. branch — a division
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. ground — crushed
  17. march — the month
  18. march — the month
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. cue — for pool
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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