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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  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. rest — what's left
  2. lean — to bend
  3. branch — a division
  4. vault — a safe
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. rest — what's left
  7. present — there
  8. rest — a break
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bank — for money
  14. lean — thin
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. present — a gift
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. present — the time now
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bank — for money
  22. chair — a leader
  23. bank — of a river
  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