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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. mug — to rob
  3. board — a committee
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bank — for money
  7. branch — a division
  8. mug — a cup
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. mark — a trace
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. bank — for money
  13. wound — an injury
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. board — to get on
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wound — an injury
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mug — a face
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. snap — to click
  24. arm — part of the body

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