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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rush · branch · tear · stick · prune · vault · track · board

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. tear — from crying
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. board — to get on
  6. prune — to trim
  7. rush — hurry
  8. track — a song
  9. tear — from crying
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. branch — a division
  16. track — a path
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. track — to keep track
  19. vault — a safe
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. board — a committee
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. tear — to rip

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