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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. track — a path
  4. last — to go on
  5. suit — in cards
  6. track — to keep track
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. dip — to sink
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. last — finally
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. last — final
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. suit — to fit
  15. track — a song
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. hand — help
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. hand — in cards
  23. date — the fruit
  24. suit — clothes

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