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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: pop · bark · patient · vault · sharp · plane · chip · branch

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bark — to shout
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. branch — a division
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. chip — for betting
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. plane — a tool
  18. chip — to eat
  19. sharp — clever
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. pop — soda
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. vault — a safe

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