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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. dip — to sink
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. object — a thing
  5. branch — a division
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rash — a series
  14. object — an aim
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. clip — to cut
  17. pound — a weight
  18. rest — a break
  19. clip — a video
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. rest — what's left
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. clip — for paper
  24. object — to protest

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