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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: game · vault · bass · branch · arm · racket · mate · lash

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. mate — a partner
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. vault — a safe
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. game — a match
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. game — wild animals
  12. mate — a friend
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bass — low music
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. branch — a division
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. bass — the fish
  24. mate — to breed

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