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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. dip — to sink
  4. wound — an injury
  5. present — there
  6. present — the time now
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. spell — a short time
  9. sharp — clever
  10. spell — magic
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. present — a gift
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — a division
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. spell — letters

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