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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. band — a ring
  5. band — a music group
  6. bear — the animal
  7. dip — to sink
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. rush — hurry
  10. season — in sport
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. season — of the year
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. bear — the animal
  24. band — a rubber band

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