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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. toast — bread
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. stock — goods
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. chest — a box
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. stock — shares
  11. chest — of your body
  12. vault — a safe
  13. branch — a division
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bark — to shout
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — high quality
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. chest — of your body
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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