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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 · vault · roll · swing · pit · snap · branch · rash

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. pit — a hole
  3. row — a line
  4. snap — to click
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rash — a series
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. roll — a list
  13. swing — in golf
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. roll — a cake
  17. swing — music
  18. pit — in a race
  19. vault — a safe
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. swing — to play on
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. branch — a division

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