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

Word bank: hide · straw · race · racket · branch · vault

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. race — humankind
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. race — a contest
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. vault — a safe
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. race — the arms race
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. hide — animal skin

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