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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. roll — a list
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. swing — in golf
  5. object — to protest
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. chest — a box
  8. swing — music
  9. mark — a grade
  10. dip — to sink
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. chest — of your body
  13. swing — to play on
  14. object — a thing
  15. object — an aim
  16. chest — of your body
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. roll — a cake

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