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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: pass · branch · band · lash · vault · shower · racket · dip

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — a permit
  4. shower — rain
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. band — a music group
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. shower — to wash
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. dip — to sink
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. branch — a division
  23. band — a ring
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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