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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fan · rock · branch · dip · season · swing · cell · rash

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. cell — a phone
  9. branch — a division
  10. dip — to sink
  11. season — in sport
  12. cell — in biology
  13. season — of the year
  14. rock — music
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. swing — music
  17. swing — in golf
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. swing — to play on
  20. rock — a stone
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rash — a series

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