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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. craft — a skill
  6. cue — a signal
  7. scale — size or range
  8. cue — a hint
  9. craft — boats
  10. tear — to rip
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. tear — from crying
  13. cue — for pool
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. scale — in music
  16. ground — crushed
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. chair — a leader
  19. ground — a position
  20. tear — from crying
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. ground — the earth
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — music

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