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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stem — to come from
  5. bank — of a river
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. bank — for money
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. pass — a permit
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. date — the fruit
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — a grade
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bank — for money

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