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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
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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: chair · rush · fine · dip · rash · branch · spell · game

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — high quality
  5. spell — magic
  6. game — wild animals
  7. fine — all right
  8. branch — a division
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. game — a match
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. rash — hasty
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. rush — hurry
  16. chair — a leader
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. dip — to sink
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spell — letters
  24. rash — on the skin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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