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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. dip — to sink
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. cell — in biology
  5. rash — hasty
  6. ground — the earth
  7. chest — of your body
  8. branch — a division
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. ground — a position
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. rash — a series
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — a box
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. ground — crushed
  20. squash — to crush
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. squash — the sport
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. dip — a sauce

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