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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. snap — to click
  6. saw — the tool
  7. race — a contest
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — a trail
  10. land — a country
  11. land — to come down
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. land — ground
  15. perch — the fish
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. branch — a division
  18. race — the arms race
  19. race — humankind
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. saw — the tool

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