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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. ground — the earth
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. spell — letters
  8. staff — employees
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. staff — a stick
  11. rock — music
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — magic
  15. rash — a series
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. rash — hasty
  18. staff — employees
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. snap — to click
  22. ground — a position
  23. branch — a division
  24. ground — crushed

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