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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: branch · face · mouse · foot · snap · tear · club · season

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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. club — a group
  3. face — part of the head
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. tear — from crying
  6. snap — to click
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. tear — to rip
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — in sport
  12. face — to point toward
  13. club — for dancing
  14. foot — a measure
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. club — for golf
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. tear — from crying
  20. season — of the year
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. face — to confront
  23. branch — a division
  24. mouse — the animal

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