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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: snap · perch · stand · stick · branch · vault · club · cell

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. cell — in biology
  5. branch — a division
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. club — for golf
  8. snap — to click
  9. stand — to bear
  10. cell — a phone
  11. perch — the fish
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. club — for dancing
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. club — a group
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. stand — on your feet

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