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

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. mug — to rob
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. current — happening now
  6. branch — a division
  7. dip — to sink
  8. current — electric
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. mug — a face
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. mug — a cup
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. press — a publisher
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. press — to push
  19. current — of water
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. press — newspapers
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. saw — the tool
  24. branch — of a tree

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