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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. branch — a division
  4. last — final
  5. vault — a safe
  6. firm — a company
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. last — finally
  9. firm — decided
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. press — newspapers
  12. wake — a trail
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. press — to push
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. squash — the sport
  18. press — a publisher
  19. squash — to crush
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. firm — steady
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. leaves — lets stay

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