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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. bulb — for light
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. chair — a leader
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. dip — to sink
  18. bass — low music
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bass — the fish
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. bulb — for light
  24. stand — for spectators

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