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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 120 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: bore · branch · snap · kid · mouse · spell · ball · stand

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — a division
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. ball — a great time
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. kid — child
  13. ball — a dance
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. snap — to click
  16. spell — magic
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bore — to tire
  19. spell — letters
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. spell — a short time
  22. kid — to tease
  23. bore — to drill
  24. mouse — the animal

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