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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: branch · rock · sharp · vault · race · lash · wake · bowl

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. race — the arms race
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. rock — a stone
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. race — humankind
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. rock — music
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. race — a contest
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. vault — a safe
  24. bowl — a dish

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