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

Word bank: wound · stand · branch · mouse · row · vault · lean · snap

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. stand — to bear
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. vault — a safe
  8. lean — thin
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. row — a line
  11. snap — to click
  12. branch — a division
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. wound — an injury
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. row — to paddle
  21. wound — an injury
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. stand — on your feet

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