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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stand — to bear
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bear — the animal
  13. rash — hasty
  14. dip — to sink
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — in sport
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. shower — to wash
  20. bear — the animal
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. rash — a series
  23. net — after costs
  24. shower — rain

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