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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: branch · sharp · mine · file · arm · snap · bass · pass

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  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 speak sharply
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. bass — low music
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. file — a tool
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. mine — for digging
  10. file — a line of people
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. file — a document
  14. snap — to click
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. sharp — clever
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. pass — a permit
  22. bass — the fish
  23. arm — part of the body
  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