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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: fall · spell · branch · key · rush · hide · snap · cap

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  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. hide — to keep secret
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — hurry
  6. fall — to drop
  7. key — in music
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. key — for a lock
  10. cap — a hat
  11. spell — magic
  12. fall — to drop
  13. key — the most important part
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. fall — the season
  16. cap — of ice
  17. snap — to click
  18. cap — a lid
  19. spell — letters
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. spell — a short time
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. branch — a division
  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