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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: lash · court · wax · bank · trunk · rule · stem · vault

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. bank — for money
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. court — of a king
  5. stem — to come from
  6. wax — to grow
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bank — for money
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. court — for sport
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. vault — a safe
  17. court — of law
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. bank — of a river
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. rule — government
  24. trunk — of a car

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