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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. firm — steady
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. firm — decided
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ball — a great time
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. cold — not warm
  12. dip — to sink
  13. cold — an illness
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. firm — a company
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. bass — the fish
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. chip — for betting
  20. bass — low music
  21. chip — to eat
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. cold — the Cold War

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