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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. rush — hurry
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. branch — a division
  8. hand — in cards
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pop — music
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. pop — to visit
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. pop — soda
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. bulb — for light
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pound — a weight
  23. hand — help
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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