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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: rash · branch · track · bass · vault · lean · saw · craft

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. craft — boats
  4. lean — thin
  5. bass — low music
  6. craft — a skill
  7. saw — the tool
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. track — a path
  12. rash — a series
  13. track — to keep track
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. track — a song
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. lean — to bend
  20. vault — a safe
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — hasty
  23. bass — the fish
  24. lean — to rest against

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