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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. dip — to sink
  3. cell — in biology
  4. perch — the fish
  5. cell — a phone
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. suit — to fit
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. shower — to wash
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. lean — thin
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. file — a document
  14. file — a tool
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. lean — to bend
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. suit — clothes
  22. file — a line of people
  23. shower — rain
  24. suit — in cards

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