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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 116 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: branch · cue · snap · saw · lean · object · file · club

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. file — a document
  4. cue — a signal
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. file — a line of people
  7. snap — to click
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. lean — thin
  10. branch — a division
  11. object — to protest
  12. cue — for pool
  13. club — a group
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. object — a thing
  16. file — a tool
  17. object — an aim
  18. saw — the tool
  19. lean — to bend
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. club — for dancing
  22. saw — the tool
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. club — for golf

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