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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 120 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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. snap — to click
  8. board — a committee
  9. sharp — clever
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. pop — soda
  17. fall — to drop
  18. board — to get on
  19. fall — to drop
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. pop — to visit
  22. foot — a measure
  23. fall — the season
  24. pop — music

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