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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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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: chair · march · spring · deal · snap · branch · safe · pit

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. branch — a division
  3. spring — a coil
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. deal — to handle
  6. spring — of water
  7. spring — the season
  8. snap — to click
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. pit — in a race
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. pit — a hole
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. march — the month
  21. march — the month
  22. march — music
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. chair — a leader

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