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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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Word bank
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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: bass · dip · vault · stick · hide · fan · ruler · branch

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. bass — low music
  17. dip — to sink
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. vault — a safe
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bass — the fish
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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