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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. dip — to sink
  8. spring — a coil
  9. tear — to rip
  10. tear — from crying
  11. degree — temperature
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. degree — from a university
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. spring — the season
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. spring — of water
  23. degree — an amount
  24. tear — from crying

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