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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. spell — letters
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. fine — all right
  5. spell — a short time
  6. dip — to sink
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rest — what's left
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. spell — magic
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. cell — in biology
  13. lie — to recline
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rush — hurry
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. fine — high quality
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. cell — a phone
  23. rest — a break
  24. cell — in a prison

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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