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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: scale · row · snap · branch · vault · kick · race · bark

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. race — the arms race
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. scale — size or range
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. scale — in music
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. row — to paddle
  14. row — a line
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. race — a contest
  18. branch — a division
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. kick — in football
  21. snap — to click
  22. race — humankind
  23. vault — a safe
  24. bark — of a tree

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