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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. cue — for pool
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. spring — a coil
  6. scale — size or range
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. scale — in music
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. cue — a hint
  14. spring — the season
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. cue — a signal
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. spring — of water

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