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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: net · vault · branch · nail · wave · clip · ruler · roll

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. net — after costs
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. roll — a cake
  7. clip — for paper
  8. roll — a list
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. clip — to cut
  12. net — in sport
  13. clip — a video
  14. vault — a safe
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. branch — a division
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. net — for catching
  24. nail — for a hammer

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