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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. track — a song
  4. rock — music
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. kick — in football
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. cue — a signal
  12. dip — to sink
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. branch — a division
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. prune — to trim
  17. track — a path
  18. cue — for pool
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. track — to keep track
  21. rash — a series
  22. cue — a hint
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. prune — to trim

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