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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: arm · vault · bay · kick · spell · branch · field · can

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. can — a tin
  3. field — for sport
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. can — to be able to
  7. branch — a division
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. spell — magic
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. vault — a safe
  13. field — a subject
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — a short time
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. field — farmland
  21. can — a tin
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. kick — a thrill

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