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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 120 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: hand · racket · bore · vault · staff · bear · cell · branch

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. hand — help
  7. bore — to tire
  8. staff — employees
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. staff — employees
  13. cell — in biology
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. branch — a division
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. staff — a stick
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. vault — a safe
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. hand — in cards
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. bore — to drill

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