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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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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: bank · vault · land · pit · shower · nail · branch · arm

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. shower — to wash
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. vault — a safe
  6. land — ground
  7. land — a country
  8. branch — a division
  9. bank — for money
  10. shower — rain
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. pit — in a race
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pit — a hole
  20. bank — of a river
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. bank — for money
  23. land — to come down
  24. nail — on a finger

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