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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: chest · press · branch · drill · vault · pop · ball · arm

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. pop — to visit
  3. chest — of your body
  4. vault — a safe
  5. chest — a box
  6. pop — soda
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. drill — the tool
  11. press — to push
  12. ball — a dance
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. pop — music
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. branch — a division
  18. chest — of your body
  19. ball — a great time
  20. press — a publisher
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. press — newspapers
  23. drill — army training
  24. drill — a practice

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