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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 120 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 have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. foot — a measure
  5. cold — not warm
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. mug — to rob
  8. dip — to sink
  9. mug — a face
  10. drill — army training
  11. mug — a cup
  12. spell — magic
  13. drill — the tool
  14. drill — a practice
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. cold — an illness
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — letters

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