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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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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: pop · bulb · spell · branch · rock · board · stick · snap

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. pop — music
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. bulb — for light
  6. spell — magic
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. board — to get on
  9. spell — letters
  10. rock — a stone
  11. pop — to visit
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. snap — to click
  14. board — a committee
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rock — music
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pop — soda
  21. spell — a short time
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. branch — a division
  24. bulb — of a plant

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