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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. degree — an amount
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. branch — a division
  6. march — the month
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. degree — from a university
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. degree — temperature
  11. lean — thin
  12. mark — a grade
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. lean — to bend
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. march — music
  21. march — the month
  22. mark — a trace
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. dip — a sauce

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