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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. tube — the underground
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. rest — what's left
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. spell — magic
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. face — part of the head
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. rest — a break
  14. lean — to bend
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. tube — a container
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — letters
  22. face — to confront
  23. dip — to sink
  24. face — to point toward

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