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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. rash — a series
  4. firm — steady
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. firm — a company
  10. rash — hasty
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. firm — decided
  18. track — to keep track
  19. track — a path
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. track — a song
  24. sharp — clever

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