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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. object — to protest
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. branch — a division
  7. object — a thing
  8. snap — to click
  9. object — an aim
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. bulb — for light
  12. mate — a partner
  13. rock — music
  14. bulb — for light
  15. rash — a series
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mate — a friend
  19. tube — a container
  20. tube — the underground
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — hasty
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. rock — a stone

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