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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 120 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: stick · bat · cabinet · snap · swing · fall · plane · branch

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. swing — in golf
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. fall — to drop
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. branch — a division
  11. plane — a tool
  12. bat — the animal
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. snap — to click
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. swing — music
  21. fall — to drop
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. swing — to play on
  24. fall — the season

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