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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. season — in sport
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. wound — an injury
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. season — of the year
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. wound — an injury
  13. rash — hasty
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. branch — a division
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. dip — to sink
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. rash — a series
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — a break

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