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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: rest · can · branch · rash · vault · arm · stand · rule

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rule — a law
  4. rest — a break
  5. can — a tin
  6. rest — what's left
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. can — a tin
  10. rash — a series
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. rash — hasty
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. can — to be able to
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. stand — to bear

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