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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. shower — rain
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. deal — to handle
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bass — low music
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. branch — a division
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — a price
  20. shower — to wash
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. dip — to sink
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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