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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. rock — a stone
  3. cue — for pool
  4. tear — to rip
  5. tear — from crying
  6. dip — to sink
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. track — a song
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. tear — from crying
  12. rock — music
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. roll — a list
  15. roll — a cake
  16. squash — the sport
  17. track — to keep track
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. track — a path
  21. squash — to crush
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cue — a hint
  24. roll — on a roll

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