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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. swing — music
  4. swing — to play on
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. swing — in golf
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. shower — rain
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. dip — to sink
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. shower — to wash
  14. cold — an illness
  15. cold — not warm
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pit — in a race
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. pit — a hole
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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