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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 120 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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fine — all right
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. present — a gift
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. present — the time now
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. bass — low music
  13. fine — high quality
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bass — the fish
  18. fork — in a road
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. fall — the season
  21. snap — to click
  22. present — there
  23. branch — a division
  24. branch — of a tree

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