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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: branch · snap · cue · toast · lie · nail · ground · mark

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. lie — to recline
  4. mark — a trace
  5. cue — a signal
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. cue — a hint
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. ground — a position
  14. snap — to click
  15. ground — the earth
  16. branch — a division
  17. mark — a grade
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. toast — bread
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. cue — for pool
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. ground — crushed

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