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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. dip — to sink
  7. lean — to bend
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. branch — a division
  10. pit — in a race
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. lean — thin
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. wind — moving air
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pit — a hole

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