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

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. branch — a division
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. swing — in golf
  5. swing — music
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. swing — to play on
  8. snap — to click
  9. vault — a safe
  10. prune — to trim
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. present — there
  13. firm — decided
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. prune — to trim
  19. present — the time now
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. firm — steady
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. present — a gift
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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