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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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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: branch · hide · court · pit · hand · pass · vault · wake

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. court — for sport
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. branch — a division
  7. pass — a permit
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. hand — help
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. vault — a safe
  18. hand — in cards
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wake — a trail
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. court — of a king
  24. branch — of a bank

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