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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 120 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: court · branch · hide · lean · vault · bank · cap · can

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — for money
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. lean — to bend
  6. branch — a division
  7. can — a tin
  8. cap — of ice
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. bank — of a river
  11. vault — a safe
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. court — of law
  17. cap — a hat
  18. lean — thin
  19. court — for sport
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. cap — a lid
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. court — of a king

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