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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 120 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: shower · bound · cabinet · last · nail · vault · branch · fan

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  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. vault — in gymnastics
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. last — finally
  4. shower — rain
  5. bound — obliged
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. branch — a division
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. last — to go on
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — certain
  12. vault — a safe
  13. shower — to wash
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. last — final
  23. fan — a supporter
  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