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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
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: fan · toast · cabinet · pitch · branch · snap · rash · hide

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. toast — bread
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — a series
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. branch — a division
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. pitch — completely
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. snap — to click
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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