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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 · snap · saw · deal · file · vault · wake · race

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. saw — the tool
  4. file — a tool
  5. vault — a safe
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. file — a line of people
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. snap — to click
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. race — humankind
  16. wake — a trail
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. saw — the tool
  19. file — a document
  20. race — the arms race
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. deal — to handle
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. race — a contest

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