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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. pound — a weight
  7. spring — a coil
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. bat — the animal
  11. kick — in football
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. charge — in control
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. spring — of water
  17. sharp — clever
  18. charge — electricity
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. spring — the season
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. charge — a price

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