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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. season — of the year
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. branch — a division
  9. root — of a word
  10. root — of a plant
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. hand — help
  15. season — in sport
  16. root — the cause
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. season — to add flavour

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