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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rock — music
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. rash — a series
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. dip — to sink
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. rock — a stone
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. rash — on the skin

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