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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. snap — to click
  3. branch — a division
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. track — a song
  6. firm — steady
  7. vault — a safe
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — from crying
  12. track — to keep track
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. wind — moving air
  16. firm — a company
  17. track — a path
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. tear — to rip
  22. firm — decided
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. kick — in football

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