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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: branch · bulb · lean · object · snap · wave · rush · hide

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. snap — to click
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. lean — thin
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — a division
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. bulb — for light
  14. lean — to bend
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. rush — hurry
  17. bulb — for light
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. object — to protest
  22. object — an aim
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — to keep secret

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