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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 120 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: deal · branch · wake · net · bank · spring · arm · vault

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. bank — for money
  4. net — for catching
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. wake — a trail
  10. net — after costs
  11. bank — of a river
  12. spring — a coil
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. spring — of water
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. net — in sport
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. vault — a safe
  20. spring — the season
  21. bank — for money
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. branch — a division

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