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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: bark · ball · spring · branch · vault · hide · scale · hand

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. scale — size or range
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. scale — in music
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — of water
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. spring — the season
  12. hand — help
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a great time
  15. vault — a safe
  16. ball — a dance
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. branch — a division
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. hand — in cards
  24. branch — of a tree

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