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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. snap — to click
  4. fall — to drop
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. kick — in football
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. pass — a permit
  11. game — a match
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. fall — to drop
  19. game — wild animals
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. fall — the season
  24. kick — a thrill

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