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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. dip — to sink
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. court — for sport
  5. cell — in biology
  6. bore — to tire
  7. season — of the year
  8. cell — a phone
  9. season — in sport
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. bore — to drill
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. court — of a king
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. court — of law
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. hand — in cards

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