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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: mouse · branch · trunk · season · ground · snap · hand · suit

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. suit — in cards
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. suit — to fit
  9. hand — help
  10. snap — to click
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. season — of the year
  16. ground — crushed
  17. ground — a position
  18. suit — clothes
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. season — in sport
  21. branch — a division
  22. hand — in cards
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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