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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — a break
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. cell — in biology
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. current — electric
  8. current — of water
  9. branch — a division
  10. bore — to tire
  11. object — a thing
  12. bore — to drill
  13. object — to protest
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. rest — what's left
  17. fine — high quality
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. current — happening now
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. object — an aim
  23. cell — a phone
  24. fine — all right

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