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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.

Make a worksheet

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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. mug — to rob
  3. dip — to sink
  4. mug — a face
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. chair — a leader
  7. tube — a container
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to point toward
  10. face — to confront
  11. scale — in music
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. scale — size or range
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. tube — the underground

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