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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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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 · suit · craft · racket · ruler · cell · fall · snap

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. cell — a phone
  3. fall — to drop
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. suit — clothes
  7. fall — the season
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. craft — a skill
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. cell — in biology
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. snap — to click
  15. craft — boats
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. suit — to fit
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. fall — to drop
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. suit — 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