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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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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: branch · rest · sharp · can · fork · hide · vault · wake

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. sharp — clever
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. can — to be able to
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. can — a tin
  11. wake — a trail
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. rest — what's left
  14. branch — a division
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. vault — a safe
  17. rest — what's left
  18. can — a tin
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. rest — a break
  21. fork — in a road
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. branch — 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