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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. bound — tied together
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. branch — a division
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. ball — a dance
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. ball — a great time
  15. bound — certain
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bound — obliged
  21. snap — to click
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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