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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. track — a path
  4. track — to keep track
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. lean — thin
  7. lean — to bend
  8. staff — a stick
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. track — a song
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. staff — employees
  14. branch — a division
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. chip — to eat
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. saw — the tool
  20. staff — employees
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. saw — the tool
  23. chip — for betting
  24. branch — of a bank

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