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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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. charge — electricity
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — the season
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. board — a committee
  7. track — a path
  8. board — to get on
  9. lean — thin
  10. bank — for money
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. bank — for money
  13. lean — to bend
  14. charge — a price
  15. snap — to click
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. charge — in control
  18. track — to keep track
  19. bank — of a river
  20. spring — a coil
  21. track — a song
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. branch — a division
  24. lean — to rest against

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