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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: hide · pitch · ruler · snap · branch · rush · wave · toast

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. pitch — completely
  5. branch — a division
  6. toast — bread
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. snap — to click
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. rush — hurry
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. hide — to keep secret

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