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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chip · spell · rash · branch · stand · roll · vault · tear

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  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. stand — to bear
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — to rip
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. spell — a short time
  7. roll — a cake
  8. vault — a safe
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. chip — for betting
  11. spell — magic
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. branch — a division
  18. roll — a list
  19. rash — a series
  20. tear — from crying
  21. rash — hasty
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. spell — letters
  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