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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked 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. can — a tin
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — a division
  6. rock — music
  7. capital — money
  8. cold — an illness
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. can — to be able to
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. rock — a stone
  13. current — of water
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. cold — not warm
  16. capital — a city
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. can — a tin
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. current — happening now
  23. mouse — the animal
  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