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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. squash — to crush
  4. mark — a grade
  5. present — there
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. mark — a trace
  8. present — the time now
  9. vault — a safe
  10. rash — a series
  11. wake — a trail
  12. squash — the sport
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. net — in sport
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. net — after costs
  22. net — for catching
  23. rash — hasty
  24. branch — a division

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