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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  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. arm — part of the body
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. branch — a division
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. lie — to recline
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — help
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. arm — a part of something
  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