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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 120 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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. branch — a division
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. spell — letters
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. bore — to drill
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. spell — a short time
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. bore — to tire
  17. spell — magic
  18. staff — employees

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