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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hand — help
  6. branch — a division
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. club — for dancing
  10. club — a group
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. march — music
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. club — for golf
  18. march — the month
  19. march — the month
  20. season — of the year
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. snap — to click

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