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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: branch · vault · last · mine · mark · track · safe · toast

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. last — final
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. last — to go on
  5. last — finally
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. vault — a safe
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. branch — a division
  11. track — a song
  12. toast — bread
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. track — a path
  17. track — to keep track
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mine — for digging
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. mark — a trace
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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