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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
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: file · branch · game · spell · dip · press · vault · arm

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. branch — a division
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. vault — a safe
  9. press — to push
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — magic
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. file — a tool
  14. press — newspapers
  15. file — a document
  16. game — a match
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. press — a publisher
  19. spell — a short time
  20. game — wild animals
  21. dip — to sink
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. file — a line of people

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