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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: snap · mug · object · sharp · wake · board · branch · pitcher

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. mug — a cup
  4. wake — a trail
  5. object — an aim
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. board — to get on
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. sharp — clever
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. mug — a face
  12. snap — to click
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. mug — to rob
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. branch — a division
  19. object — to protest
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. object — a thing
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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