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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
468
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: snap · branch · drill · ball · content · pass · fall · rash

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. fall — to drop
  5. rash — hasty
  6. ball — a great time
  7. snap — to click
  8. content — the amount
  9. branch — a division
  10. drill — army training
  11. pass — a permit
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — a practice
  16. content — happy
  17. rash — a series
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. fall — to drop
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. fall — the season

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