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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. rash — a series
  3. dip — to sink
  4. rash — hasty
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. branch — a division
  9. tube — a container
  10. tube — the underground
  11. field — a subject
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. suit — to fit
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. field — farmland
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. suit — clothes
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. field — for sport

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