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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. dip — to sink
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. swing — to play on
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. wound — an injury
  14. swing — in golf
  15. mug — a face
  16. row — to paddle
  17. wound — an injury
  18. row — a line
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. branch — a division
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. swing — music

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