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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — to recline
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. snap — to click
  10. swing — to play on
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. branch — a division
  15. swing — music
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. current — happening now
  20. swing — in golf
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. current — of water
  24. current — electric

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