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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: net · branch · tube · suit · shower · pop · mate · vault

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. shower — to wash
  4. suit — clothes
  5. suit — to fit
  6. tube — a container
  7. net — after costs
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mate — to breed
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. vault — a safe
  13. pop — to visit
  14. mate — a friend
  15. branch — a division
  16. net — in sport
  17. shower — rain
  18. pop — music
  19. tube — the underground
  20. net — for catching
  21. suit — in cards
  22. pop — soda
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. branch — of a tree

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