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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: row · wind · leaves · vault · rock · snap · game · rest

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — a break
  4. row — to paddle
  5. rock — a stone
  6. vault — a safe
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. snap — to click
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. game — a match
  14. game — wild animals
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. wind — moving air
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. rest — what's left
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. wind — moving air
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. rock — music
  24. rock — to move gently

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