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

Word bank: swing · row · wave · vault · ruler · branch · squash · track

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. track — to keep track
  3. swing — in golf
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. row — a line
  6. track — a path
  7. track — a song
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. swing — to play on
  13. swing — music
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. row — to paddle
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. vault — a safe
  21. branch — a division
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. squash — to crush
  24. ruler — for measuring

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