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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: straw · ground · vault · toast · leaves · game · march · branch

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. march — music
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. vault — a safe
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. ground — the earth
  14. march — the month
  15. march — the month
  16. ground — a position
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. toast — bread
  21. ground — crushed
  22. branch — a division
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. game — a match

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