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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: vault · rest · arm · dip · band · game · branch · nail

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. rest — a break
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. branch — a division
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. band — a ring
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. game — wild animals
  15. vault — a safe
  16. rest — what's left
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. dip — to sink
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. game — a match
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. rest — what's left
  24. band — a music group

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