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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: bat · leaves · snap · saw · shower · bank · branch · firm

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. bank — for money
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bat — the animal
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bank — for money
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. saw — the tool
  12. firm — decided
  13. shower — to wash
  14. snap — to click
  15. shower — rain
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. firm — a company
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. bank — of a river
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. firm — steady
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. saw — the tool
  24. branch — a division

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