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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. charge — in control
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. charge — electricity
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. charge — a price
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. foot — a measure
  10. dip — to sink
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. branch — a division
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. mark — a trace
  19. prune — to trim
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. mark — a grade
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. trunk — of a tree

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