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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. drill — the tool
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. wound — an injury
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. pass — a permit
  12. wound — an injury
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. drill — a practice
  15. branch — a division
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. drill — army training
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. land — ground
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. land — to come down
  24. land — a country

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