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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 · branch · fall · spell · ball · shower · rule · nail

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  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. branch — of a tree
  2. fall — to drop
  3. spell — letters
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. shower — rain
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. fall — to drop
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. shower — to wash
  12. ball — a dance
  13. rule — government
  14. branch — a division
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. ball — a great time
  17. fall — the season
  18. rule — a law
  19. spell — a short time
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. snap — to click
  22. spell — magic
  23. rule — to rule out
  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