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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. chair — a leader
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. season — of the year
  5. wound — an injury
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. craft — a skill
  8. craft — boats
  9. spring — the season
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cue — for pool
  14. spring — a coil
  15. wound — an injury
  16. cue — a signal
  17. spring — of water
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. season — in sport
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. dip — to dunk

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