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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. kid — to tease
  3. rock — music
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — a box
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. rock — a stone
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. race — the arms race
  12. kid — child
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. chest — of your body
  16. race — humankind
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. race — a contest
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. lash — an eyelash

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