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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: field · branch · lash · scale · vault · band · arm · bulb

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  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. lash — to lash out
  2. bulb — for light
  3. field — a subject
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. scale — in music
  6. branch — a division
  7. field — farmland
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bulb — for light
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. scale — size or range
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. band — a music group
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. vault — a safe
  20. field — for sport
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. band — a ring
  23. scale — for weighing
  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