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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. cap — a hat
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bulb — for light
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. cap — a lid
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. last — to go on
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. last — finally
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. sharp — clever
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bulb — for light
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. drill — a practice
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. cap — of ice
  20. last — final
  21. drill — the tool
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. drill — army training
  24. dip — to sink

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