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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. content — happy
  6. board — to get on
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. board — a committee
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. cue — a hint
  12. content — the amount
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. cue — for pool
  18. prune — to trim
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. cue — a signal
  21. prune — to trim
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. straw — dry grass

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