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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. race — a contest
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. wax — to grow
  5. root — of a word
  6. race — the arms race
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. branch — a division
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bank — for money
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. row — to paddle
  13. race — humankind
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. season — in sport
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. bank — for money
  20. root — the cause
  21. row — a line
  22. root — of a plant
  23. season — of the year
  24. dip — to sink

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