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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. fine — high quality
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. content — happy
  9. fine — all right
  10. dip — to sink
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. row — to paddle
  15. row — a line
  16. plane — a tool
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. foot — a measure
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. content — the amount

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