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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. roll — a cake
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. chest — a box
  5. branch — a division
  6. ball — a dance
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. march — music
  9. march — the month
  10. mug — to rob
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. mug — a face
  14. chest — of your body
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. chest — of your body
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. mug — a cup
  20. vault — a safe
  21. ball — a great time
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. march — the month

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