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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: can · hand · branch · prune · vault · bear · mug · cap

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. bear — the animal
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. hand — help
  8. cap — of ice
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. cap — a lid
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. mug — a cup
  13. can — a tin
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. branch — a division
  16. prune — to trim
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. can — to be able to
  19. bear — the animal
  20. mug — to rob
  21. prune — to trim
  22. can — a tin
  23. mug — a face
  24. hand — in cards

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