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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  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. snap — to click
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. can — a tin
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. bound — certain
  7. can — a tin
  8. bound — obliged
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — a trail
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. face — to confront
  14. can — to be able to
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. face — to point toward
  17. stock — goods
  18. face — part of the head
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. bound — tied together
  21. branch — a division
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. stock — shares
  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