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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  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 tree
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — tied together
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — the time now
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. snap — to click
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bound — certain
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. fall — to drop
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. present — there
  16. fall — to drop
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. fall — the season
  19. ground — crushed
  20. branch — a division
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ground — a position
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  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