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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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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: swing · branch · snap · kick · firm · drill · mine · root

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. firm — a company
  3. firm — decided
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. swing — music
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. drill — the tool
  8. mine — for digging
  9. swing — to play on
  10. branch — a division
  11. root — the cause
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. firm — steady
  15. drill — a practice
  16. swing — in golf
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. snap — to click
  20. drill — army training
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. root — of a word
  23. root — of a plant
  24. kick — in football

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