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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 116 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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a trace
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. row — to paddle
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. mark — a grade
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — hurry
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. file — a tool
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. dip — to sink
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. file — a line of people
  19. row — a line
  20. file — a document
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. rush — to hurry

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