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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: drill · snap · swing · hide · rush · kid · branch · vault

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. rush — hurry
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. swing — music
  6. vault — a safe
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. drill — the tool
  12. kid — child
  13. swing — in golf
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. kid — to tease
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. drill — army training
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. drill — a practice
  22. snap — to click
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  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