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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: fall · branch · vault · bank · rush · bowl · tube · toast

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. fall — to drop
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. bank — for money
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. tube — a container
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. fall — to drop
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. bank — for money
  13. rush — hurry
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. branch — a division
  18. fall — the season
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bank — of a river
  22. vault — a safe
  23. tube — the underground
  24. toast — bread

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