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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. present — a gift
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — to drop
  9. snap — to click
  10. swing — in golf
  11. present — the time now
  12. branch — a division
  13. present — there
  14. fall — the season
  15. swing — to play on
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. pit — a hole
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a dance
  23. swing — music
  24. pit — in a race

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