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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: wave · leaves · branch · row · chip · kid · vault · toast

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. kid — child
  4. row — a line
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. chip — for betting
  13. vault — a safe
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. toast — bread
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. chip — to eat
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. row — to paddle
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. branch — a division
  24. wave — with your hand

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