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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 116 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. ground — the earth
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. branch — a division
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. ground — crushed
  12. shower — to wash
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. dip — to sink
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. shower — rain
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. snap — to click
  19. mark — a grade
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. ground — a position

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