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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: sharp · snap · chair · branch · can · stock · lie · bark

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. stock — shares
  3. bark — to shout
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — goods
  6. can — to be able to
  7. chair — a leader
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. branch — a division
  12. lie — to recline
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. can — a tin
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. sharp — clever
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. can — a tin
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. branch — of a bank

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