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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — to sink
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. spell — magic
  8. row — to paddle
  9. wound — an injury
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. row — a line
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. wound — an injury
  16. spell — a short time
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. pitcher — a jug

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