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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. bear — the animal
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. ball — a dance
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. squash — to crush
  7. rock — a stone
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. ball — a great time
  10. field — for sport
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. bear — the animal
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. rock — music
  20. field — farmland
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. field — a subject
  23. branch — a division
  24. squash — the sport

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