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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: present · vault · straw · tube · branch · pass · game · spring

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. tube — a container
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. spring — of water
  5. branch — a division
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. vault — a safe
  8. present — the time now
  9. spring — the season
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. tube — the underground
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pass — a permit
  17. present — there
  18. spring — a coil
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. game — a match
  22. present — a gift
  23. game — wild animals
  24. straw — a straw man

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