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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: mate · field · chest · chip · stand · plane · vault · branch

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. plane — a tool
  3. mate — a friend
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. chip — for betting
  7. mate — a partner
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — to bear
  13. branch — a division
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. chest — a box
  17. field — for sport
  18. mate — to breed
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — of your body
  23. field — a subject
  24. field — farmland

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