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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. snap — to click
  6. rule — a law
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. wound — an injury
  10. branch — a division
  11. can — a tin
  12. wound — an injury
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chip — for betting
  15. can — a tin
  16. band — a ring
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. can — to be able to
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bear — the animal
  23. rule — government
  24. bear — the animal

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