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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 120 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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. drill — army training
  3. degree — an amount
  4. kid — child
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. wake — a trail
  8. kid — to tease
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. bore — to drill
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. degree — temperature
  13. vault — a safe
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. branch — a division
  18. degree — from a university
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. drill — the tool
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. bore — to tire
  24. drill — a practice

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