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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 116 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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. press — a publisher
  3. branch — a division
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. mark — a grade
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. mark — a trace
  13. spring — the season
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. spring — of water
  20. press — newspapers
  21. spring — a coil
  22. dip — to sink
  23. press — to push
  24. lash — an eyelash

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