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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. wind — moving air
  4. dip — to sink
  5. root — of a word
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. spell — magic
  9. season — in sport
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. wind — moving air
  12. spell — a short time
  13. branch — a division
  14. season — of the year
  15. root — the cause
  16. spell — letters
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pass — a permit
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. root — of a plant

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