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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. snap — to click
  3. track — to keep track
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. roll — a list
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. track — a path
  12. ground — a position
  13. branch — a division
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. track — a song
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. roll — a cake
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ground — crushed
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. branch — of a bank

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