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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: last · snap · wake · cell · pop · cap · board · branch

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. pop — music
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. wake — a trail
  5. last — to go on
  6. pop — to visit
  7. cell — a phone
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cell — in biology
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. board — to get on
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. cap — a hat
  16. last — final
  17. branch — a division
  18. last — finally
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. board — a committee
  21. pop — soda
  22. cap — of ice
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. snap — to click

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