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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.

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: branch · trunk · stick · march · mine · mug · snap · key

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. mug — a cup
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mine — for digging
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. key — the most important part
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. march — music
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. key — for a lock
  17. march — the month
  18. mug — a face
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. branch — a division
  21. snap — to click
  22. key — in music
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. march — the month

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