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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 120 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: deal · scale · nail · snap · bank · pop · branch · cell

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. cell — in biology
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — music
  7. bank — of a river
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. scale — in music
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. deal — to handle
  13. bank — for money
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. scale — size or range
  16. snap — to click
  17. cell — a phone
  18. bank — for money
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. pop — to visit
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. nail — for a hammer

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