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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. last — finally
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. lie — to recline
  5. suit — clothes
  6. last — final
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to click
  9. last — to go on
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — a division
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. ball — a dance
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. suit — in cards
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pound — a weight
  20. ball — a great time
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. suit — to fit
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. lie — an untruth

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