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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. date — the fruit
  4. lean — thin
  5. mark — a grade
  6. squash — to crush
  7. dip — to sink
  8. squash — the sport
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. kid — to tease
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. rash — a series
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. mark — a trace
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. lean — to bend
  21. rash — hasty
  22. kid — child
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. date — on the calendar

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