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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 120 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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  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. dip — a sauce
  2. track — to keep track
  3. stand — to bear
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. lean — to bend
  11. spell — letters
  12. swing — in golf
  13. spell — magic
  14. swing — to play on
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. track — a song
  18. track — a path
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. branch — a division
  21. lean — thin
  22. swing — music
  23. lean — to rest against
  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