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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 like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. file — a tool
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. dip — to sink
  7. file — a line of people
  8. press — to push
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. press — newspapers
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. branch — a division
  13. wax — to grow
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mine — for digging
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. file — a document
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. press — a publisher

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