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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: rule · tear · lash · vault · branch · perch

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. branch — a division
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. rule — government
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. rule — a law
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. vault — a safe
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. perch — the fish
  13. tear — to rip
  14. tear — from crying
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. tear — from crying
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. rule — to rule out

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