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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: branch · wound · rest · arm · vault · spring · coach · cabinet

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. rest — what's left
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. wound — an injury
  5. rest — a break
  6. spring — a coil
  7. branch — a division
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. vault — a safe
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. spring — the season
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. rest — what's left
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wound — an injury
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. arm — a part of something

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