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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 116 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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. bark — to shout
  3. stock — goods
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — to breed
  9. saw — the tool
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. stock — shares
  12. branch — a division
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mark — a grade
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. mate — a partner
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. mark — a trace
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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