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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. dip — to sink
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. kid — child
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. kid — to tease
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. can — a tin
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. can — to be able to
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. rush — hurry
  18. can — a tin
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. sharp — clever

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