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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. cap — a lid
  4. mark — a grade
  5. dip — to sink
  6. cap — a hat
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. snap — to click
  10. mark — a trace
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. scale — size or range
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. rock — a stone
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. scale — in music
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. cap — of ice
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rock — music

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