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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. track — a song
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. mine — for digging
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. branch — a division
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. track — to keep track
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. dip — to sink
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. rush — hurry
  22. track — a path
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. mine — belonging to me

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