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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: net · fork · mug · snap · lean · deal · branch · roll

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. branch — a division
  3. lean — to bend
  4. roll — a list
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. roll — a cake
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. mug — to rob
  12. deal — to handle
  13. lean — thin
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. net — after costs
  16. net — in sport
  17. mug — a cup
  18. net — for catching
  19. mug — a face
  20. fork — in a road
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. snap — to click
  24. branch — of a tree

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