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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 116 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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. band — a ring
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. branch — a division
  6. spring — the season
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bank — for money
  9. band — a music group
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cue — a hint
  12. dip — to sink
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. cue — a signal
  16. snap — to click
  17. squash — the sport
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — of water
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. squash — to crush
  24. bank — for money

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