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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. squash — to crush
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bore — to tire
  5. branch — a division
  6. tube — the underground
  7. squash — the sport
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. tube — a container
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. bore — to drill
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — a safe
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. dip — to sink
  24. tube — in a tire

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