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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: kick · lash · vault · bulb · lean · branch · bowl · cue

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  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. bulb — of a plant
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cue — a hint
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. vault — a safe
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — a division
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lean — thin
  18. kick — in football
  19. cue — a signal
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bulb — for light
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  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