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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 116 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 · mouse · saw · pit · nail · bass · chip

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. branch — a division
  4. pit — in a race
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. bass — low music
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. saw — the tool
  11. chip — for betting
  12. snap — to click
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. pit — a hole
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bass — the fish
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. saw — the tool
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bass — the instrument

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