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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: march · swing · toast · branch · snap · chip · lean · mate

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — thin
  4. swing — music
  5. swing — in golf
  6. branch — a division
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. mate — to breed
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. snap — to click
  12. march — the month
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. march — music
  15. mate — a partner
  16. chip — for betting
  17. mate — a friend
  18. chip — to eat
  19. lean — to bend
  20. swing — to play on
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. toast — bread
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. toast — the most admired

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