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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. chest — of your body
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. key — in music
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. prune — to trim
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. branch — a division
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — the most important part
  13. chest — a box
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. chest — of your body
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — the underground
  22. prune — to trim
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. dip — to dunk

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