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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. spring — of water
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. spring — the season
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. bass — the fish
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. bass — low music
  14. branch — a division
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. spring — a coil
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. dip — to sink
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. pass — a permit
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. trunk — of a car

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