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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 get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. scale — size or range
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. spell — magic
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. pop — soda
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. dip — to sink
  10. toast — bread
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. branch — a division
  15. kick — in football
  16. pop — to visit
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. pop — music
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — letters
  22. scale — in music
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. scale — for weighing

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