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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. march — the month
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. cap — of ice
  6. dip — to sink
  7. march — music
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. perch — the fish
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. prune — to trim
  13. tube — the underground
  14. march — the month
  15. cap — a hat
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. cap — a lid
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. prune — to trim
  24. tube — a container

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