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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: season · fine · arm · leaves · bay · branch · vault · mine

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. fine — all right
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. fine — high quality
  10. branch — a division
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. season — of the year
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. season — in sport
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. season — to add flavour

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