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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. ball — a dance
  12. dip — to sink
  13. swing — to play on
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a great time
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. swing — in golf
  21. swing — music
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. ruler — for measuring

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