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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: bulb · ball · fall · vault · hand · branch · craft · mine

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. hand — in cards
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. mine — for digging
  10. fall — to drop
  11. ball — a great time
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. fall — to drop
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. craft — a skill
  17. fall — the season
  18. craft — boats
  19. bulb — for light
  20. hand — help
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. branch — a division
  24. hand — part of the body

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