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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: rest · hide · present · mine · branch · vault · mark · track

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. present — there
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. branch — a division
  6. track — a path
  7. present — the time now
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. mark — a trace
  10. present — a gift
  11. mark — a grade
  12. track — to keep track
  13. rest — a break
  14. rest — what's left
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mine — for digging
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. vault — a safe
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. rest — what's left
  21. track — a song
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. mine — an explosive

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