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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. mark — a trace
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. saw — the tool
  7. mine — for digging
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. lie — to recline
  14. scale — in music
  15. dip — to sink
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. saw — the tool
  19. mark — a grade
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lean — thin
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. scale — size or range

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