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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. last — finally
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. track — to keep track
  8. season — of the year
  9. wake — a trail
  10. craft — a skill
  11. last — final
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. cell — in biology
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. wound — an injury
  16. last — to go on
  17. track — a path
  18. craft — boats
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. cell — a phone
  21. season — in sport
  22. track — a song
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wake — before a funeral

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