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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. staff — a stick
  4. spell — letters
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. lean — to bend
  7. spell — a short time
  8. lean — thin
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. race — humankind
  13. branch — a division
  14. staff — employees
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. spell — magic
  19. race — a contest
  20. dip — to sink
  21. staff — employees
  22. mark — a trace
  23. race — the arms race
  24. branch — of a tree

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