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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 120 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: vault · branch · track · stem · hand · face · arm · cap

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. hand — help
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. hand — in cards
  5. stem — to come from
  6. cap — a hat
  7. face — to confront
  8. face — part of the head
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. branch — a division
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. track — to keep track
  15. vault — a safe
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. face — to point toward
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. cap — of ice
  21. track — a path
  22. cap — a lid
  23. track — a song
  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