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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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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: suit · branch · ruler · vault · saw · last · wind · capital

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. last — final
  4. vault — a safe
  5. last — finally
  6. wind — moving air
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. wind — moving air
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. last — to go on
  12. saw — the tool
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. capital — money
  16. saw — the tool
  17. branch — a division
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. capital — a city
  20. suit — clothes
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. suit — in cards
  24. suit — to fit

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