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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 · spring · present · vault · lash · rule · nail · game

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. spring — of water
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. game — a match
  6. game — wild animals
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. present — a gift
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. rule — government
  13. branch — a division
  14. spring — the season
  15. spring — a coil
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. present — there
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. present — the time now
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. rule — a law
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. nail — for a hammer

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