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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.

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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Word bank
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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. dip — to sink
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. branch — a division
  5. tube — the underground
  6. shower — to wash
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mug — a face
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. key — the most important part
  14. tube — a container
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. shower — rain
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. key — in music
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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