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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: swing · vault · stick · branch · hide · face · cell · nail

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. swing — to play on
  3. face — part of the head
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. swing — music
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. cell — in biology
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. cell — a phone
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. face — to confront
  15. vault — a safe
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. swing — in golf
  23. nail — on a finger
  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