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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. object — to protest
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. rest — what's left
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. dip — to sink
  8. track — a path
  9. rest — a break
  10. fork — in a road
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. object — an aim
  13. spring — the season
  14. spring — of water
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. rest — what's left
  18. spring — a coil
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. object — a thing
  21. track — to keep track
  22. track — a song
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. temple — side of the head

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