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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. chip — for betting
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. branch — a division
  8. spell — magic
  9. spell — a short time
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. chip — to eat
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. mine — for digging
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. spell — letters
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. snap — to click

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