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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. present — a gift
  3. row — to paddle
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. current — electric
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. branch — a division
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. vault — a safe
  10. game — wild animals
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. current — happening now
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. present — there
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. game — a match
  20. current — of water
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. present — the time now
  24. row — a line

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