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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. saw — the tool
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. board — a committee
  8. bear — the animal
  9. toast — bread
  10. board — to get on
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. branch — a division
  14. snap — to click
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. chip — to eat
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. saw — the tool
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. chip — for betting
  22. bear — the animal
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. chip — in a computer

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