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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
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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: vault · branch · lie · file · rush · scale · present · game

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. branch — a division
  4. present — the time now
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. vault — a safe
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. present — a gift
  10. game — wild animals
  11. file — a tool
  12. present — there
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. scale — size or range
  16. rush — hurry
  17. file — a line of people
  18. file — a document
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. game — a match
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — to recline

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