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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. roll — a list
  6. swing — to play on
  7. date — the fruit
  8. swing — music
  9. roll — a cake
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. swing — in golf
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. spell — magic
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. branch — a division
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — a short time
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. fan — a supporter

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