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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. mug — a cup
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. snap — to click
  7. mug — a face
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. fork — in a road
  13. mug — to rob
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. chair — a leader
  21. tube — the underground
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. deal — to handle
  24. tube — a container

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