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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. court — of law
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. bank — for money
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. court — for sport
  10. shower — to wash
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. shower — rain
  13. track — a song
  14. mark — a trace
  15. bank — for money
  16. track — a path
  17. branch — a division
  18. bank — of a river
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. track — to keep track
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a grade
  24. court — of a king

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