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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: deal · hand · vault · row · mine · staff · arm · branch

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. row — to paddle
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. staff — employees
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. mine — for digging
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. hand — in cards
  13. deal — to handle
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — a division
  16. vault — a safe
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. hand — help
  20. staff — a stick
  21. row — a line
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. mine — belonging to me

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