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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  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 sink
  2. cue — a signal
  3. fall — to drop
  4. mug — to rob
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. cue — a hint
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. land — a country
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. fall — to drop
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. land — to come down
  14. mug — a cup
  15. fall — the season
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. land — ground
  22. mug — a face
  23. cue — for pool
  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