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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.

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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. tube — the underground
  5. dip — to sink
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — a stick
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — a trace
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. staff — employees
  20. tube — a container
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. rash — a series
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. dip — to dunk

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