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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: vault · stand · can · chest · date · branch · sharp · staff

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. can — a tin
  4. chest — of your body
  5. can — to be able to
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. date — the fruit
  9. sharp — clever
  10. staff — employees
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. chest — a box
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. stand — to bear
  19. vault — a safe
  20. can — a tin
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. chest — of your body
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — a stick

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