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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: snap · staff · wake · bay · branch · vault · chip · rash

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. branch — a division
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. chip — to eat
  5. rash — hasty
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. wake — a trail
  10. staff — a stick
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. chip — for betting
  14. vault — a safe
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. staff — employees
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. snap — to click
  22. staff — employees
  23. rash — a series
  24. branch — of a bank

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