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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: branch · mine · swing · bay · wound · foot · mark · snap

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. swing — music
  7. snap — to click
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. mark — a trace
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. wound — an injury
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. swing — in golf
  17. wound — an injury
  18. branch — a division
  19. mine — for digging
  20. foot — a measure
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. swing — to play on
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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