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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.

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: ball · row · snap · bowl · rock · wound · spring · branch

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. wound — an injury
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. rock — a stone
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. snap — to click
  8. row — a line
  9. rock — music
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. spring — the season
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. wound — an injury
  15. row — to paddle
  16. ball — a great time
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. ball — a dance
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. spring — of water
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. spring — a coil
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. bowl — to roll

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