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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. march — the month
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. snap — to click
  7. date — the fruit
  8. march — the month
  9. branch — a division
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. shower — to wash
  14. shower — rain
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. chip — to eat
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. roll — a list
  19. chip — for betting
  20. march — music
  21. roll — a cake
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. roll — on a roll

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