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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 120 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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. rash — a series
  4. swing — music
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. branch — a division
  7. spell — a short time
  8. fall — to drop
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. key — for a lock
  11. rash — hasty
  12. current — happening now
  13. spell — letters
  14. swing — to play on
  15. key — the most important part
  16. current — electric
  17. dip — to sink
  18. spell — magic
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. current — of water
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. fall — the season
  23. swing — in golf
  24. fall — to drop

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