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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 120 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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. firm — decided
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. scale — in music
  10. branch — a division
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. firm — a company
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. fork — in a road
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stand — to bear
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. firm — steady
  23. scale — size or range
  24. fan — to cool the air

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