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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. court — of a king
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. bore — to drill
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. present — the time now
  8. squash — to crush
  9. net — for catching
  10. fall — the season
  11. bore — to tire
  12. net — in sport
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. court — of law
  15. squash — the sport
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. net — after costs
  18. present — there
  19. present — a gift
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. court — for sport
  22. fall — to drop
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. dip — to sink

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