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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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 tree
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. object — an aim
  5. hand — in cards
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. hand — help
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. object — a thing
  13. deal — to handle
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. branch — a division
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — to grow
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. object — to protest
  23. game — a match
  24. game — wild animals

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