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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. swing — music
  5. bore — to tire
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. press — newspapers
  9. swing — to play on
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. dip — to sink
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. press — to push
  17. branch — a division
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. swing — in golf
  20. press — a publisher
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — hurry
  23. plane — a tool
  24. bore — to drill

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