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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: roll · spell · snap · branch · staff · hide · stock · sharp

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. roll — a list
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. snap — to click
  6. spell — letters
  7. staff — a stick
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. spell — a short time
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. staff — employees
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. staff — employees
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. spell — magic
  18. stock — goods
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. roll — a cake
  21. stock — shares
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. branch — a division

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