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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. rock — a stone
  3. cap — of ice
  4. wound — an injury
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. club — a group
  8. cap — a hat
  9. wound — an injury
  10. club — for golf
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. can — to be able to
  13. scale — size or range
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. can — a tin
  17. club — for dancing
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. can — a tin
  20. cap — a lid
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. scale — in music
  23. rock — music
  24. temple — a place of worship

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