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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 116 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: suit · file · snap · cell · branch · patient · rock · net

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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. net — in sport
  3. net — for catching
  4. rock — a stone
  5. cell — in biology
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. suit — in cards
  8. suit — clothes
  9. net — after costs
  10. file — a tool
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. rock — music
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. file — a line of people
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. snap — to click
  19. branch — a division
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. suit — to fit
  22. cell — a phone
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. file — a document

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