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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.

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: dip · branch · fan · foot · snap · squash · roll · lash

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. branch — a division
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. roll — a list
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. squash — the sport
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. snap — to click
  16. roll — a cake
  17. foot — a measure
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. dip — to sink
  22. squash — to crush
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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