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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 · march · lash · wake · firm · prune · vault · lie

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — a division
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. march — the month
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. firm — steady
  11. prune — to trim
  12. firm — decided
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. march — music
  15. march — the month
  16. firm — a company
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. vault — a safe
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. prune — to trim
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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