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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. track — a path
  6. fall — to drop
  7. scale — in music
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. scale — size or range
  10. mug — to rob
  11. sharp — clever
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. fall — to drop
  14. track — to keep track
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. fall — the season
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. mug — a cup
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. dip — to sink
  23. track — a song
  24. mug — a face

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