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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 120 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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. deal — to handle
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. field — a subject
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. branch — a division
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. field — farmland
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. spell — letters
  15. season — of the year
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. dip — to sink
  18. spell — magic
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. field — for sport
  22. season — in sport
  23. spell — a short time
  24. mouse — the animal

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