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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — to handle
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. present — a gift
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. present — there
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. hand — help
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. hand — in cards
  14. present — the time now
  15. date — the fruit
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. dip — to sink

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