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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. suit — to fit
  5. dip — to sink
  6. spell — magic
  7. shower — to wash
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — employees
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. suit — in cards
  15. spell — a short time
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. bass — low music
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. suit — clothes
  20. spell — letters
  21. shower — rain
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bass — the fish

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