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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. dip — to sink
  3. suit — to fit
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. snap — to click
  6. staff — employees
  7. suit — clothes
  8. row — to paddle
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — a box
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. chest — of your body
  14. suit — in cards
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — music
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. staff — employees
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. mine — for digging
  22. staff — a stick
  23. row — a line
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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