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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 124 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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. rest — what's left
  7. suit — in cards
  8. fine — high quality
  9. suit — clothes
  10. fine — all right
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. shower — to wash
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — a break
  15. bear — the animal
  16. shower — rain
  17. bear — the animal
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. dip — to sink
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. suit — to fit
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — a jug

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