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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: hand · mate · bay · present · current · branch · snap · scale

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. current — happening now
  5. present — a gift
  6. present — the time now
  7. current — of water
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. mate — a friend
  10. present — there
  11. scale — in music
  12. snap — to click
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. branch — a division
  16. mate — to breed
  17. current — electric
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. mate — a partner
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. hand — help
  22. scale — size or range
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. hand — in cards

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