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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. bank — for money
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. ground — crushed
  7. snap — to click
  8. ground — the earth
  9. face — to confront
  10. dip — to sink
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. bank — of a river
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. bank — for money
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. face — to point toward
  20. branch — a division
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. face — part of the head
  23. season — in sport
  24. ground — a position

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