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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 · ground · lie · racket · pound · safe · capital · snap

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. snap — to click
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. ground — the earth
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. pound — a weight
  13. capital — money
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. ground — a position
  17. lie — to recline
  18. ground — crushed
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. capital — a city
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. branch — a division
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — for tennis

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