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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: tube · vault · squash · roll · deal · branch · temple · content

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. tube — the underground
  4. deal — to handle
  5. squash — the sport
  6. vault — a safe
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. content — the amount
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. roll — a list
  14. branch — a division
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. squash — to crush
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. tube — a container
  20. roll — a cake
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. deal — a big deal

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