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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. rash — hasty
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. drill — army training
  6. drill — the tool
  7. fine — high quality
  8. branch — a division
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. vault — a safe
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. saw — the tool
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. saw — the tool
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. drill — a practice
  20. dip — to sink
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. rash — a series
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. fine — all right

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