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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. land — to come down
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. swing — music
  9. land — ground
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. swing — to play on
  14. foot — a measure
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. swing — in golf
  17. scale — in music
  18. scale — size or range
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. land — a country

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