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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stand — to bear
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. pop — music
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. pop — soda
  11. fork — in a road
  12. dip — to sink
  13. branch — a division
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. row — to paddle
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. deal — to handle
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. pop — to visit
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. snap — to click

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