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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 116 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: board · wake · nail · lean · club · cabinet · branch · vault

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. club — for dancing
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. board — a committee
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. club — for golf
  7. board — to get on
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. lean — thin
  11. club — a group
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. wake — a trail
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. lean — to bend
  24. branch — a division

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