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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. dip — to sink
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. mug — a face
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. kick — in football
  7. club — for golf
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. bear — the animal
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. field — a subject
  15. field — for sport
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. mug — to rob
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. mug — a cup
  20. club — for dancing
  21. field — farmland
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. club — a group
  24. bear — the animal

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