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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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468
Word bank
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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  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. snap — to speak sharply
  2. branch — a division
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. chip — for betting
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. toast — bread
  9. fine — high quality
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. snap — to click
  12. fine — all right
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — moving air
  17. swing — music
  18. chip — to eat
  19. swing — in golf
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. swing — to play on
  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