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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. rest — what's left
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. rest — what's left
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rest — a break
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. dip — to sink
  13. wake — a trail
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. chair — a leader
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. sharp — clever
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. fan — to cool the air

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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