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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. row — a line
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. row — to paddle
  5. lean — to bend
  6. march — music
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rule — government
  10. march — the month
  11. vault — a safe
  12. branch — a division
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. chair — a leader
  15. lean — thin
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. rule — a law
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. march — the month
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. chair — to sit on

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