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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 116 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: scale · vault · cabinet · branch · stick · bark · tear · land

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. tear — from crying
  4. land — ground
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bark — to shout
  10. scale — size or range
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. scale — in music
  15. tear — to rip
  16. vault — a safe
  17. land — a country
  18. land — to come down
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. branch — a division
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. tear — from crying

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