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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. tear — from crying
  4. firm — a company
  5. hand — help
  6. firm — steady
  7. tear — from crying
  8. spell — letters
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. hand — in cards
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. dip — to sink
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. spell — magic
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. firm — decided
  21. spell — a short time
  22. tear — to rip
  23. rush — hurry
  24. hand — part of the body

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