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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 120 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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. branch — a division
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. dip — to sink
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. bore — to drill
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. can — a tin
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. can — a tin
  15. swing — in golf
  16. bore — to tire
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. swing — to play on
  19. swing — music
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. can — to be able to

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