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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 120 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
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 · bank · key · file · bass · branch · snap · hand

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. file — a tool
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. file — a document
  6. key — for a lock
  7. hand — help
  8. bass — low music
  9. bass — the fish
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. bank — for money
  12. fall — to drop
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. branch — a division
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. file — a line of people
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. fall — the season
  19. key — in music
  20. bank — for money
  21. key — the most important part
  22. hand — in cards
  23. bank — of a river
  24. fall — to drop

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