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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: current · rash · wave · march · branch · bat · vault · rule

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. bat — the animal
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. vault — a safe
  8. rule — government
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. current — electric
  13. rash — hasty
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. current — happening now
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. march — music
  18. march — the month
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. branch — a division
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. current — of water
  23. rule — a law
  24. rash — a series

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