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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. firm — a company
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. fork — in a road
  10. press — a publisher
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. press — to push
  14. branch — a division
  15. rash — hasty
  16. press — newspapers
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. kid — child
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. kid — to tease
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — steady
  24. dip — to sink

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