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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. club — a group
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. spell — magic
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. cue — for pool
  9. dip — to sink
  10. spell — letters
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. vault — a safe
  13. cue — a hint
  14. club — for golf
  15. cue — a signal
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. content — the amount
  20. content — happy
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. club — for dancing
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. spell — a short time

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