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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. capital — money
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. shower — rain
  7. prune — to trim
  8. lie — to recline
  9. capital — a city
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. hand — help
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. toast — bread
  14. shower — to wash
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. prune — to trim
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. hand — in cards
  24. dip — to dunk

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