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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — magic
  4. bank — of a river
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. bank — for money
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. mug — a cup
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bat — the animal
  14. mug — a face
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. dip — to sink
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bank — for money
  20. mug — to rob
  21. spell — letters
  22. vault — a safe
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. dip — a sauce

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