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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  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. snap — to snap out of it
  2. branch — a division
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. snap — to click
  5. mark — a grade
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. tear — to rip
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. tear — from crying
  16. mark — a trace
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. tube — a container
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tear — from crying
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. dip — to sink
  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