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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to sink
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. ground — a position
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. band — a ring
  10. stand — to bear
  11. date — the fruit
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. band — a music group
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. face — to point toward
  18. ground — the earth
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. rash — hasty
  21. face — part of the head
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. face — to confront
  24. ground — crushed

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