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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: hide · vault · snap · branch · fine · wake · wax · lash

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. fine — all right
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. branch — a division
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. fine — high quality
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. wake — a trail
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. wax — to grow
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. snap — to click
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. vault — a safe

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