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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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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: branch · dip · rock · arm · cap · stem · kid · vault

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. stem — to come from
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. branch — a division
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. cap — a hat
  7. rock — a stone
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. cap — a lid
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. vault — a safe
  15. rock — music
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. cap — of ice
  18. kid — child
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. dip — to sink
  22. kid — to tease
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. rock — to move gently

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