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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 116 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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cap — a lid
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. fine — high quality
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. charge — electricity
  12. band — a music group
  13. branch — a division
  14. cap — a hat
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. charge — in control
  18. fine — all right
  19. charge — a price
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. snap — to click
  22. band — a ring
  23. sharp — clever
  24. band — a rubber band

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