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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. object — an aim
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. spring — of water
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. prune — to trim
  7. spring — the season
  8. spring — a coil
  9. bat — the animal
  10. firm — steady
  11. plane — a tool
  12. firm — a company
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. firm — decided
  15. object — a thing
  16. vault — a safe
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. object — to protest
  19. branch — a division
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. prune — to trim
  24. branch — of a bank

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