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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.

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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: suit · root · lash · branch · field · hand · vault · wake

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wake — a trail
  8. root — of a word
  9. suit — clothes
  10. suit — to fit
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. branch — a division
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. root — of a plant
  15. root — the cause
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. field — a subject
  18. suit — in cards
  19. vault — a safe
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. hand — help
  22. field — for sport
  23. hand — in cards
  24. lash — an eyelash

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