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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: band · file · chair · can · vault · lash · branch · pit

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — in a race
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. file — a document
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. branch — a division
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. vault — a safe
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. can — a tin
  12. file — a tool
  13. can — to be able to
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. band — a ring
  18. can — a tin
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. file — a line of people
  21. band — a music group
  22. chair — a leader
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. pit — a hole

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