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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pit — a hole
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. wake — a trail
  8. rock — a stone
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. branch — a division
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. tear — to rip
  15. tear — from crying
  16. spring — the season
  17. rock — music
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. spring — of water
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. spring — a coil
  22. tear — from crying
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. wake — before a funeral

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