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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.

Words on the sheet
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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. pass — a permit
  5. degree — temperature
  6. swing — in golf
  7. branch — a division
  8. degree — an amount
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. plane — a tool
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. swing — to play on
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. kid — to tease
  20. degree — from a university
  21. kid — child
  22. snap — to click
  23. swing — music
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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