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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. spell — magic
  4. bear — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. branch — a division
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bear — the animal
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. dip — to sink
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. mark — a grade
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — a short time

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