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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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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: nail · snap · branch · game · hand · season · race · leaves

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. season — in sport
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — a division
  7. race — humankind
  8. race — the arms race
  9. game — wild animals
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. race — a contest
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. season — of the year
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. game — a match
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. snap — to click
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. hand — help

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