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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: fall · hand · bore · key · branch · present · vault · game

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. present — the time now
  4. branch — a division
  5. fall — to drop
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. hand — help
  9. game — wild animals
  10. hand — in cards
  11. bore — to drill
  12. fall — the season
  13. key — the most important part
  14. fall — to drop
  15. key — in music
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. key — for a lock
  18. present — there
  19. present — a gift
  20. bore — to tire
  21. vault — a safe
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. game — a match

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