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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: hand · mug · snap · coach · sharp · branch · mouse · lie

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  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. branch — a division
  2. snap — to click
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. mug — a cup
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. sharp — clever
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. mug — to rob
  11. lie — to recline
  12. hand — help
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. hand — in cards
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. mug — a face
  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