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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: field · snap · mouse · vault · spell · arm · branch · ruler

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. spell — letters
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. snap — to click
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. spell — magic
  16. spell — a short time
  17. vault — a safe
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. branch — a division
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. field — farmland
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. field — for sport

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