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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: dip · tube · spell · wound · ground · present · branch · saw

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — an injury
  3. dip — to sink
  4. saw — the tool
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. tube — a container
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. tube — the underground
  9. present — there
  10. ground — the earth
  11. spell — letters
  12. ground — a position
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. present — the time now
  15. ground — crushed
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. spell — magic
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. spell — a short time
  23. branch — a division
  24. present — a gift

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