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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: snap · squash · mug · bear · key · bass · branch · mine

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. key — for a lock
  3. bear — the animal
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. squash — the sport
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bear — the animal
  10. squash — to crush
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mug — to rob
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. key — in music
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. bass — low music
  17. mug — a face
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. key — the most important part
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. mug — a cup
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. mine — for digging
  24. branch — a division

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