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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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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: chest · pass · jam · branch · drill · cap · vault · cell

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. cell — in biology
  3. vault — a safe
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. drill — the tool
  6. cap — a hat
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. chest — of your body
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. cap — of ice
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. drill — army training
  14. chest — a box
  15. cell — a phone
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. chest — of your body
  20. drill — a practice
  21. branch — a division
  22. cap — a lid
  23. pass — a permit
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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