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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 put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. dip — to sink
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. saw — the tool
  9. mark — a grade
  10. ball — a great time
  11. mark — a trace
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. saw — the tool
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. shower — to wash
  17. stand — to bear
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. ball — a dance
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. shower — rain
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. stand — on your feet

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