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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. pitch — completely
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. spell — magic
  6. spell — letters
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. spell — a short time
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. game — a match
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. branch — a division
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. snap — to click
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. wave — with your hand

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