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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. roll — a cake
  3. dip — to sink
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bear — the animal
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. roll — a list
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lean — thin
  13. bat — the animal
  14. last — finally
  15. last — final
  16. pitch — completely
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. last — to go on
  20. date — the fruit
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. lean — to rest against

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