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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — size or range
  5. club — for golf
  6. tear — to rip
  7. club — a group
  8. spell — a short time
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. tear — from crying
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. deal — to handle
  14. spell — letters
  15. tear — from crying
  16. spell — magic
  17. scale — in music
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. club — for dancing
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. deal — an agreement

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