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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. cue — for pool
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. vault — a safe
  7. branch — a division
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. file — a tool
  10. file — a line of people
  11. file — a document
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. cue — a hint
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. charge — in control
  19. cue — a signal
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. charge — electricity
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. charge — a price

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