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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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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 · safe · can · snap · bass · lie · fan · saw

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — to be able to
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — to recline
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bass — low music
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. saw — the tool
  11. can — a tin
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. saw — the tool
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. branch — a division
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bass — the fish
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. bass — the instrument

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