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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: branch · chair · pit · snap · lean · vault · ruler · degree

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. degree — temperature
  4. degree — from a university
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. lean — thin
  8. pit — in a race
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. degree — an amount
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. lean — to bend
  14. chair — a leader
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — a division
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. snap — to click
  21. vault — a safe
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. pit — a hole

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