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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. mark — a grade
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. chair — a leader
  5. wake — a trail
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. net — for catching
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. net — after costs
  10. snap — to click
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. pass — a permit
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. mark — a trace
  21. net — in sport
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. branch — a division

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