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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 116 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 · perch · branch · present · club · vault · net · wave

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. club — for dancing
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. vault — a safe
  5. present — there
  6. club — for golf
  7. present — the time now
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. net — in sport
  11. snap — to click
  12. branch — a division
  13. net — for catching
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. present — a gift
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. perch — the fish
  22. club — a group
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. net — after costs

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