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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 120 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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. dip — to sink
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — thin
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. rash — hasty
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. rush — hurry
  13. sharp — clever
  14. rash — a series
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. object — an aim
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. object — a thing
  23. object — to protest
  24. calf — a young animal

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