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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 116 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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. band — a ring
  8. snap — to click
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to bend
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — a division
  17. band — a music group
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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