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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. last — finally
  4. branch — a division
  5. charge — electricity
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. march — music
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. charge — in control
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. last — final
  15. charge — a price
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. march — the month
  22. vault — a safe
  23. march — the month
  24. coach — a trainer

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