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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. scale — size or range
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. branch — a division
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. dip — to sink
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. content — happy
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. scale — in music
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. content — the amount
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wound — an injury
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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