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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. rock — music
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. spring — the season
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. rock — a stone
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. fall — the season
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. spring — a coil
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. fall — to drop
  21. spring — of water
  22. fall — to drop
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stand — to bear

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