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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. branch — a division
  4. cue — a signal
  5. fall — the season
  6. squash — the sport
  7. rush — hurry
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. dip — to sink
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. saw — the tool
  15. squash — to crush
  16. cue — for pool
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fine — high quality
  20. cue — a hint
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. fine — all right
  24. dip — to dunk

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