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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: saw · mark · mug · fork · branch · swing · march · snap

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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. fork — a garden tool
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. saw — the tool
  5. swing — music
  6. mark — a trace
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. fork — in a road
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mug — to rob
  11. saw — the tool
  12. march — the month
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. mug — a cup
  15. branch — a division
  16. march — music
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. swing — to play on
  20. swing — in golf
  21. snap — to click
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. mug — a face
  24. march — the month

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