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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. foot — a measure
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bat — the animal
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. wind — moving air
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. branch — a division
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. lie — to recline
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. wind — moving air

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