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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: arm · bound · branch · vault · lash · hand · lie · scale

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. bound — obliged
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. scale — in music
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. bound — certain
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. bound — tied together
  16. scale — size or range
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. branch — a division
  22. vault — a safe
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. hand — help

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