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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: snap · hide · bark · wave · press · game · chip · branch

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. snap — to click
  5. bark — to shout
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. press — a publisher
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. game — a match
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. chip — to eat
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. chip — for betting
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. press — to push
  21. press — newspapers
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. game — wild animals
  24. wave — of the sea

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