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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. spring — of water
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. snap — to click
  5. pop — music
  6. branch — a division
  7. root — of a plant
  8. pass — a permit
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. bank — for money
  13. root — the cause
  14. pop — soda
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — of a river
  17. spring — a coil
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. root — of a word
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. spring — the season
  24. pop — to visit

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