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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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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 · net · stem · saw · rule · wake · rush

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. stem — to come from
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. wake — a trail
  7. net — for catching
  8. rule — a law
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. net — after costs
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rule — government
  15. saw — the tool
  16. vault — a safe
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. branch — a division
  22. rush — hurry
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. net — in sport

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