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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. perch — the fish
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. branch — a division
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bound — tied together
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. face — part of the head
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. face — to confront
  12. land — a country
  13. face — to point toward
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. land — ground
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bound — certain
  18. snap — to click
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. chip — to eat
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. bore — to tire
  23. chip — for betting
  24. land — to come down

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