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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. spell — magic
  3. wake — a trail
  4. spell — letters
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. hand — help
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. spell — a short time
  11. bat — the animal
  12. hand — in cards
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bat — in an idiom

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