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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. suit — in cards
  3. band — a ring
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. lean — thin
  6. track — a path
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bound — certain
  9. bound — obliged
  10. press — newspapers
  11. track — to keep track
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. suit — to fit
  15. lean — to bend
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. press — to push
  18. bound — tied together
  19. branch — a division
  20. track — a song
  21. press — a publisher
  22. suit — clothes
  23. band — a music group
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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