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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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. board — to get on
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. spell — magic
  8. rash — hasty
  9. kick — in football
  10. spell — letters
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. board — a committee
  13. squash — the sport
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. squash — to crush
  17. rash — a series
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. stand — to bear
  21. branch — a division
  22. spell — a short time
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. kick — a thrill

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