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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. branch — a division
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. rash — hasty
  5. dip — to sink
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bore — to drill
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. stand — to bear
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. snap — to click
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. rash — a series
  19. wake — a trail
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. bore — to tire
  24. wake — before a funeral

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