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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.

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: wound · season · vault · mouse · ball · race · saw · branch

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. season — of the year
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. wound — an injury
  6. ball — a great time
  7. season — in sport
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. branch — a division
  14. vault — a safe
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. saw — the tool
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. race — a contest
  23. wound — an injury
  24. race — the arms race

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