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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 124 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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  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. rest — what's left
  2. dip — to sink
  3. row — to paddle
  4. can — a tin
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. court — for sport
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. rest — what's left
  9. fall — the season
  10. can — a tin
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. row — a line
  13. rest — a break
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. branch — a division
  16. can — to be able to
  17. fall — to drop
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. fall — to drop
  20. court — of a king
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. court — of law
  23. fan — to cool the air
  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