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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ball — a great time
  4. firm — steady
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. face — to point toward
  7. cap — a hat
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. kid — to tease
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. dip — to sink
  13. firm — a company
  14. branch — a division
  15. face — to confront
  16. face — part of the head
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. cap — of ice
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. firm — decided
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. cap — a lid
  24. kid — child

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