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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. bank — of a river
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. bank — for money
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. branch — a division
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. march — the month
  19. march — music
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. march — the month
  22. bank — for money
  23. vault — a safe
  24. arm — part of the body

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