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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 120 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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. bank — for money
  3. can — to be able to
  4. spring — a coil
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. spring — of water
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. swing — in golf
  10. spring — the season
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bank — of a river
  13. swing — music
  14. can — a tin
  15. dip — to sink
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bank — for money
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. can — a tin
  21. tube — a container
  22. rest — a break
  23. swing — to play on
  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