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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 · chip · kid · rush · face · branch · key

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — for betting
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. kid — child
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. face — part of the head
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. branch — a division
  12. kid — to tease
  13. face — to confront
  14. rush — hurry
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. face — to point toward
  17. key — for a lock
  18. row — a line
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. key — in music
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. vault — a safe
  24. key — the most important part

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