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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: vault · saw · rash · club · leaves · branch · suit · bore

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. saw — the tool
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. rash — a series
  7. suit — to fit
  8. rash — hasty
  9. branch — a division
  10. suit — in cards
  11. suit — clothes
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bore — to tire
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. club — for dancing
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. club — for golf
  20. bore — to drill
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. saw — the tool
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. club — a group

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