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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. rash — hasty
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — a trail
  14. rock — music
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rash — a series
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. dip — to sink
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. branch — a division
  24. jam — in traffic

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