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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: bank · vault · fan · hide · sharp · branch · pop · race

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — clever
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. race — a contest
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. race — humankind
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pop — to visit
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. pop — soda
  12. branch — a division
  13. pop — music
  14. bank — of a river
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. vault — a safe
  17. race — the arms race
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. bank — for money
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. bank — for money
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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