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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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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: plane · bank · vault · branch · drill · mark · kid · wake

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bank — for money
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. wake — a trail
  7. mark — a trace
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. vault — a safe
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. drill — army training
  14. kid — child
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. branch — a division
  17. plane — a tool
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. drill — a practice
  20. bank — of a river
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. kid — to tease
  23. drill — the tool
  24. plane — an aircraft

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