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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. suit — in cards
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. suit — clothes
  7. snap — to click
  8. mine — for digging
  9. pitch — completely
  10. suit — to fit
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. key — in music
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. key — the most important part
  17. content — happy
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. content — the amount
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. key — for a lock

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