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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.

Make a worksheet

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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wind — moving air
  4. dip — to sink
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. mug — a cup
  10. branch — a division
  11. wound — an injury
  12. court — of law
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wound — an injury
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wind — moving air
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. mug — a face
  21. court — of a king
  22. mug — to rob
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. court — for sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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