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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: tube · track · snap · mate · chip · hide · leaves · branch

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. mate — a partner
  7. track — a song
  8. tube — a container
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. snap — to click
  11. chip — to eat
  12. branch — a division
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. chip — for betting
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mate — a friend
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. track — a path
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. track — to keep track
  24. tube — the underground

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