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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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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 · craft · plane · bank · vault · drill · wind · prune

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. drill — a practice
  4. wind — moving air
  5. branch — a division
  6. bank — for money
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. plane — a tool
  9. drill — the tool
  10. drill — army training
  11. prune — to trim
  12. craft — boats
  13. craft — a skill
  14. prune — to trim
  15. vault — a safe
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. bank — for money
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. bank — of a river
  24. plane — an aircraft

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