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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — a division
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. track — to keep track
  8. suit — to fit
  9. clip — a video
  10. cell — a phone
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. track — a song
  15. track — a path
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. suit — clothes
  18. clip — for paper
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. sharp — clever
  21. clip — to cut
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. suit — in cards

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