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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: hide · pitcher · spell · snap · bore · wound · branch · face

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. spell — magic
  5. snap — to click
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. branch — a division
  10. bore — to drill
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. face — part of the head
  14. bore — to tire
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. face — to point toward
  22. spell — a short time
  23. face — to confront
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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