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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. present — there
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. present — the time now
  5. hand — help
  6. hand — in cards
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. dip — to sink
  13. tube — a container
  14. branch — a division
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. present — a gift
  18. tube — the underground
  19. cue — a signal
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. cue — a hint
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. cue — for pool
  24. leaves — to go away

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