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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: branch · kick · present · cap · shower · club · cell · vault

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. branch — a division
  3. kick — in football
  4. present — there
  5. cap — of ice
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. club — for golf
  10. cap — a hat
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. cap — a lid
  14. present — a gift
  15. club — for dancing
  16. present — the time now
  17. cell — in biology
  18. vault — a safe
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. shower — rain
  23. club — a group
  24. shower — to wash

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