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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.

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: coach · saw · last · fork · net · branch · vault · bore

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. last — finally
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bore — to drill
  5. saw — the tool
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. bore — to tire
  8. last — to go on
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. net — after costs
  13. vault — a safe
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. fork — in a road
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. branch — a division
  20. last — final
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. net — for catching
  24. net — in sport

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