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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: lash · lie · mate · coach · content · branch · vault · mouse

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. mate — to breed
  4. vault — a safe
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. branch — a division
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. lie — to recline
  19. content — happy
  20. mate — a partner
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. content — the amount
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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