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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. lean — thin
  4. last — finally
  5. last — to go on
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pop — music
  8. firm — steady
  9. firm — a company
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. pop — to visit
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. firm — decided
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. last — final
  24. pop — soda

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