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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. snap — to click
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. mark — a grade
  5. swing — music
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. staff — employees
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. swing — in golf
  13. mark — a trace
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wake — a trail
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. swing — to play on
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. staff — a stick
  22. lie — to recline
  23. branch — a division
  24. 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