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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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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 · chest · mark · vault · rule · bore · present · swing

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. chest — of your body
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. swing — music
  7. chest — of your body
  8. branch — a division
  9. present — the time now
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bore — to tire
  12. chest — a box
  13. swing — in golf
  14. mark — a grade
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. swing — to play on
  17. present — there
  18. rule — government
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. bore — to drill
  22. present — a gift
  23. rule — a law
  24. mark — a trace

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