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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. hand — in cards
  6. snap — to click
  7. drill — army training
  8. cue — a signal
  9. drill — a practice
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. cue — a hint
  12. cue — for pool
  13. branch — a division
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. hand — help
  17. rock — a stone
  18. drill — the tool
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. rock — music
  24. dip — a sauce

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