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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: can · vault · chair · branch · fine · rush · net · lean

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. can — to be able to
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. chair — a leader
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. rush — hurry
  11. net — for catching
  12. net — after costs
  13. fine — all right
  14. branch — a division
  15. vault — a safe
  16. can — a tin
  17. fine — high quality
  18. lean — thin
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. lean — to bend
  21. net — in sport
  22. can — a tin
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. branch — of a tree

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