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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. roll — a list
  7. wake — a trail
  8. roll — a cake
  9. fall — the season
  10. fall — to drop
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. lean — to bend
  13. game — wild animals
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. game — a match
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. fall — to drop
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. foot — a measure
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. lean — thin
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. dip — to sink

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