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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. field — for sport
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — the underground
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. field — farmland
  9. branch — a division
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. dip — to sink
  13. pitch — completely
  14. field — a subject
  15. tube — a container
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. rush — hurry
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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