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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: branch · snap · mine · rest · cabinet · leaves · bay · pitcher

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. snap — to click
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. mine — for digging
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. branch — a division
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — what's left
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. rest — a break
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. leaves — to go away

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