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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: fan · branch · chest · mine · vault · object · stick · nail

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. object — an aim
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. chest — of your body
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. object — to protest
  10. chest — of your body
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. object — a thing
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mine — for digging
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. vault — a safe
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. chest — a box

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