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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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. bound — tied together
  3. pop — to visit
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. snap — to click
  7. spring — a coil
  8. spring — the season
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. race — the arms race
  12. race — humankind
  13. spring — of water
  14. bound — certain
  15. race — a contest
  16. lean — thin
  17. branch — a division
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pop — music
  21. pop — soda
  22. lean — to bend
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. bound — obliged

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