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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. bound — certain
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. snap — to click
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — a division
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — obliged
  16. ball — a dance
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. ball — a great time

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