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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: row · arm · vault · lash · lean · patient · branch · spell

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. spell — magic
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. spell — letters
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. spell — a short time
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — a division
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. row — a line
  15. lean — to bend
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. row — to paddle
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. lash — to lash 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