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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. bound — certain
  3. cap — a hat
  4. mark — a grade
  5. deal — to handle
  6. cap — of ice
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. spell — letters
  9. mark — a trace
  10. fine — all right
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. bound — obliged
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. dip — to sink
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. cap — a lid
  19. fine — high quality
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bound — tied together
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. spell — magic
  24. fan — to cool the air

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