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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: snap · swing · mark · calf · pound · branch · wake · fan

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  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. mark — a trace
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pound — a weight
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. wake — a trail
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. swing — music
  12. mark — a grade
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. branch — a division
  20. snap — to click
  21. swing — to play on
  22. swing — in golf
  23. calf — a young animal
  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