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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. net — after costs
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. current — of water
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. face — to confront
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. board — to get on
  12. current — happening now
  13. current — electric
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — part of the head
  17. net — in sport
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. branch — a division
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. snap — to click
  22. board — a committee
  23. net — for catching
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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