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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 · lie · lash · branch · stand · coach · tube · toast

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. stand — to bear
  6. branch — a division
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. tube — the underground
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. tube — a container
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. toast — bread
  24. toast — the most admired

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