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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 116 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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. mouse — for a computer
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. fall — the season
  6. face — part of the head
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. band — a ring
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. face — to point toward
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. file — a line of people
  17. band — a music group
  18. face — to confront
  19. file — a document
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — to drop
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. file — a tool
  24. mouse — the animal

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