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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. cold — an illness
  7. object — to protest
  8. dip — to sink
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. key — the most important part
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. object — an aim
  16. cold — not warm
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. key — in music
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. key — for a lock
  22. object — a thing
  23. pitch — completely
  24. rush — 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