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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. sharp — clever
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. branch — a division
  5. snap — to click
  6. drill — the tool
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. spell — letters
  12. drill — army training
  13. spell — magic
  14. current — of water
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. current — happening now
  18. spell — a short time
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. drill — a practice
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. current — electric
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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