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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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. pound — to hit hard
  3. mug — a face
  4. mate — a partner
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. pound — a weight
  7. mug — a cup
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. snap — to click
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. band — a music group
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. band — a ring
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. perch — the fish
  19. mug — to rob
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. mate — a friend
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. branch — a division
  24. mate — to breed

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