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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. content — the amount
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. march — the month
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. march — the month
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. content — happy
  15. kick — in football
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. snap — to click
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. march — music
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. dip — to sink
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — on a finger

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