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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: toast · roll · branch · mark · cold · mug · dip · sharp

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. mark — a grade
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. mug — a cup
  6. roll — a list
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. dip — to sink
  9. cold — not warm
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. roll — a cake
  13. toast — bread
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. sharp — clever
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mug — a face
  22. cold — an illness
  23. mug — to rob
  24. branch — of a bank

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