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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.

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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. rock — music
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. hand — help
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. hand — in cards
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. pass — a permit
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. dip — to sink
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rock — a stone
  18. can — a tin
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. can — to be able to
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. can — a tin

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