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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 116 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: branch · mark · kid · bark · spring · vault · net · bank

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. bark — to shout
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. net — after costs
  6. bank — for money
  7. kid — child
  8. spring — of water
  9. mark — a grade
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. mark — a trace
  12. bank — for money
  13. net — for catching
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. net — in sport
  16. vault — a safe
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. spring — the season
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. branch — a division
  21. bank — of a river
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. spring — a coil
  24. mark — to pay attention

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