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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've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  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. spell — a short time
  2. branch — a division
  3. suit — clothes
  4. field — for sport
  5. suit — in cards
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. spell — letters
  11. file — a line of people
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. field — farmland
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. file — a document
  16. key — for a lock
  17. file — a tool
  18. suit — to fit
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — in music
  21. spell — magic
  22. field — a subject
  23. lash — an eyelash
  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