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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. last — to go on
  6. snap — to click
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — to crush
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. chair — a leader
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bulb — for light
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. last — finally
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. bulb — for light
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. branch — a division
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. last — final
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. chair — to sit on

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