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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: wound · snap · lie · racket · tube · staff · branch · band

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. staff — a stick
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. wound — an injury
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. staff — employees
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. wound — an injury
  11. band — a ring
  12. snap — to click
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. tube — a container
  16. tube — the underground
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. band — a music group
  19. lie — to recline
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. staff — employees
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. tube — in a tire

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