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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: cabinet · snap · can · board · vault · branch · mine · cell

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. can — to be able to
  6. vault — a safe
  7. cell — a phone
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. cell — in biology
  12. can — a tin
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. mine — for digging
  15. board — a committee
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. snap — to click
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. can — a tin
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mine — an explosive

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