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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. branch — a division
  4. tube — a container
  5. lean — thin
  6. chest — a box
  7. lean — to bend
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. drill — the tool
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. chest — of your body
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. toast — bread
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. drill — a practice
  20. drill — army training
  21. dip — to sink
  22. chest — of your body
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. tube — the underground

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