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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: content · pop · row · craft · arm · vault · branch · hide

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. craft — a skill
  5. row — a line
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. pop — soda
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. content — the amount
  13. row — to paddle
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pop — to visit
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. craft — boats
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. branch — a division
  23. pop — music
  24. vault — a safe

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