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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. court — for sport
  3. court — of law
  4. firm — a company
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. saw — the tool
  7. firm — decided
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — to drop
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. firm — steady
  14. dip — to sink
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. saw — the tool
  17. fall — the season
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. court — of a king
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. branch — of a bank

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