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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.

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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. branch — a division
  4. mug — a cup
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — hasty
  7. dip — to sink
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. cold — not warm
  13. mug — a face
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. spring — of water
  19. cold — an illness
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. spring — a coil
  22. spring — the season
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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