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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. chair — a leader
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — thin
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. dip — to sink
  8. file — a document
  9. file — a tool
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. file — a line of people

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