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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. snap — to click
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. firm — a company
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. rule — a law
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. spell — a short time
  11. firm — steady
  12. drill — a practice
  13. rule — government
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. drill — the tool
  16. spell — magic
  17. firm — decided
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. drill — army training
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. spell — letters
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. rule — to rule out

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