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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  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. net — in sport
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. fall — to drop
  8. branch — a division
  9. saw — the tool
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. fall — to drop
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitch — completely
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. net — after costs
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. fall — the season
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. net — for catching
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — to trim
  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