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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. band — a music group
  6. last — to go on
  7. can — a tin
  8. last — final
  9. band — a ring
  10. dip — to sink
  11. rash — hasty
  12. last — finally
  13. row — a line
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. branch — a division
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. can — to be able to
  19. rash — a series
  20. can — a tin
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. nail — on a finger

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