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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. branch — a division
  3. press — to push
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. net — in sport
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. wax — to grow
  10. swing — music
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. net — after costs
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. swing — in golf
  19. net — for catching
  20. press — a publisher
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. swing — to play on
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. press — newspapers

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