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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: branch · content · shower · mouse · march · bay · rock · vault

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. content — happy
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. rock — music
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. march — the month
  8. march — music
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. branch — a division
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. rock — a stone
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. march — the month
  19. shower — to wash
  20. content — the amount
  21. shower — rain
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. vault — a safe
  24. branch — of a bank

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