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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. lean — thin
  4. chip — to eat
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. game — a match
  10. mate — to breed
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. game — wild animals
  13. chip — for betting
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. spring — the season
  16. spring — of water
  17. lean — to bend
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. spring — a coil
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mate — a friend
  24. lash — an eyelash

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