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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 116 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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. game — wild animals
  4. game — a match
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. face — part of the head
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. fork — in a road
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. dip — to sink
  14. spell — a short time
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. spell — magic
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. face — to confront
  19. spell — letters
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. face — to point toward
  24. game — a kind of play

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