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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: cabinet · dip · pop · spell · hide · ground · drill · branch

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. dip — to sink
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pop — to visit
  7. spell — magic
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — soda
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. ground — a position
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. drill — a practice
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. branch — a division
  17. spell — a short time
  18. drill — army training
  19. ground — the earth
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. ground — crushed
  22. drill — the tool
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. spell — letters

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