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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: vault · kick · cap · roll · spell · lie · rush · branch

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. rush — hurry
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. roll — a cake
  5. cap — a lid
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. cap — of ice
  12. branch — a division
  13. kick — in football
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. cap — a hat
  18. vault — a safe
  19. lie — to recline
  20. spell — magic
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — a short time
  24. roll — a list

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