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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: mouse · rule · spell · fan · rest · branch · net · snap

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. net — after costs
  9. spell — a short time
  10. rest — what's left
  11. spell — magic
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. net — in sport
  15. rule — a law
  16. spell — letters
  17. rule — government
  18. branch — a division
  19. net — for catching
  20. rest — a break
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. rest — what's left
  23. snap — to click
  24. mouse — the animal

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