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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. ball — a dance
  3. dip — to sink
  4. mate — a friend
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. mate — a partner
  9. tube — a container
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — what's left
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. lie — to recline
  16. tube — the underground
  17. mate — to breed
  18. ball — a great time
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — to trim
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. coach — a trainer

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