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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 120 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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. land — to come down
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. chest — a box
  5. suit — to fit
  6. net — after costs
  7. row — to paddle
  8. net — for catching
  9. chest — of your body
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. chest — of your body
  12. branch — a division
  13. stem — to come from
  14. suit — in cards
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. row — a line
  17. net — in sport
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. land — a country
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. suit — clothes
  22. land — ground
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. vault — a safe

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