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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 120 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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  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. content — videos and posts
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. shower — rain
  6. content — happy
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. content — the amount
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — in sport
  15. shower — to wash
  16. prune — to trim
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. prune — to trim
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. prune — the fruit
  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