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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. roll — a list
  3. snap — to click
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. rock — music
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. squash — to crush
  10. ground — a position
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. net — in sport
  13. ground — the earth
  14. squash — the sport
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. ground — crushed
  17. net — after costs
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. rock — a stone
  20. net — for catching
  21. plane — a tool
  22. roll — a cake
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. branch — of a tree

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