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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: rush · lean · saw · can · branch · dip · vault · degree

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. can — a tin
  4. vault — a safe
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. lean — to bend
  7. saw — the tool
  8. can — to be able to
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — a division
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. can — a tin
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. dip — to sink
  16. degree — temperature
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. saw — the tool
  20. degree — an amount
  21. lean — thin
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. rush — hurry
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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