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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. can — a tin
  3. object — to protest
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. object — a thing
  6. deal — to handle
  7. foot — a measure
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. dip — to sink
  10. can — a tin
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. vault — a safe
  18. object — an aim
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. can — to be able to
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. sharp — clever
  24. nail — for a hammer

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