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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  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. branch — of a tree
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bore — to drill
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. content — happy
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. bore — to tire
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. branch — a division
  15. mark — a grade
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. content — the amount
  20. vault — a safe
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. mark — a trace
  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