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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. branch — a division
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. dip — to sink
  5. season — in sport
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. season — of the year
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. staff — a stick
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. staff — employees
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. staff — employees
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. lie — to recline
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. fork — in a road

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