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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 124 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.

Make a worksheet

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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. dip — to sink
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. squash — the sport
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bass — low music
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. squash — to crush
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bass — the fish
  20. plane — a tool
  21. branch — a division
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. chair — a leader

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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