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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: drill · chair · bear · ruler · stick · snap · branch · stem

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. branch — a division
  7. stem — to come from
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bear — the animal
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. chair — a leader
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. drill — army training
  17. drill — a practice
  18. drill — the tool
  19. bear — the animal
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. snap — to click

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