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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. foot — a measure
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. pit — in a race
  10. tube — a container
  11. pit — a hole
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — thin
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. dip — to sink
  22. toast — bread
  23. pound — a weight
  24. foot — the bottom

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