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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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. spell — a short time
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bound — certain
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. spell — letters
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. branch — a division
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. snap — to click
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. clip — to cut
  16. clip — a video
  17. spell — magic
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. clip — for paper
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. bound — obliged

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