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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.

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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. mark — a trace
  3. chip — for betting
  4. kid — to tease
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. kid — child
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. vault — a safe
  13. mark — a grade
  14. chip — to eat
  15. hand — help
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. hand — in cards

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