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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 116 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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. firm — a company
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. firm — steady
  8. board — to get on
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — a short time
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. mine — for digging
  16. board — a committee
  17. spell — magic
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. kid — to tease
  20. kid — child
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. firm — decided
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. mine — an explosive

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