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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: arm · face · spring · branch · vault · last · chair · fall

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. chair — a leader
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. last — finally
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. fall — the season
  8. last — final
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. fall — to drop
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. vault — a safe
  14. spring — the season
  15. spring — a coil
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. face — part of the head
  18. face — to point toward
  19. face — to confront
  20. branch — a division
  21. fall — to drop
  22. spring — of water
  23. last — to go on
  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