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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: chip · nail · vault · bear · branch · band · bat · face

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. bear — the animal
  3. face — to confront
  4. chip — to eat
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. bear — the animal
  10. band — a music group
  11. face — to point toward
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. bat — the animal
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. vault — a safe
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. branch — a division
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. face — part of the head
  23. band — a ring
  24. bat — for baseball

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