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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. rock — a stone
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. squash — to crush
  5. squash — the sport
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. mug — a cup
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. bank — of a river
  11. rock — music
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. mug — a face
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bank — for money
  16. wake — a trail
  17. game — a match
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. bank — for money
  20. game — wild animals
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — to dunk

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