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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 120 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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. shower — to wash
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. mate — to breed
  6. shower — rain
  7. snap — to click
  8. net — for catching
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. branch — a division
  11. net — in sport
  12. face — part of the head
  13. object — an aim
  14. object — a thing
  15. net — after costs
  16. mate — a partner
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. object — to protest
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. mate — a friend
  23. face — to point toward
  24. face — to confront

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