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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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. craft — a handicraft
  4. saw — the tool
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. object — an aim
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rash — a series
  9. hand — help
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. object — to protest
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. object — a thing
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. craft — a skill
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. hand — in cards
  22. craft — boats
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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