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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: last · vault · bark · rush · branch · kid · net · lash

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. kid — child
  3. last — final
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. vault — a safe
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. kid — to tease
  9. branch — a division
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. last — to go on
  14. net — for catching
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. net — after costs
  20. last — finally
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. net — in sport
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bark — of a tree

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