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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.

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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: lie · branch · bear · vault · staff · band · present · row

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. present — the time now
  4. staff — employees
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. row — a line
  7. staff — a stick
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. bear — the animal
  10. row — to paddle
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. present — a gift
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bear — the animal
  18. band — a ring
  19. vault — a safe
  20. staff — employees
  21. band — a music group
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  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