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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. last — final
  3. spell — magic
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. last — finally
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. hand — in cards
  10. prune — to trim
  11. last — to go on
  12. hand — help
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. prune — to trim
  22. spell — a short time
  23. pound — a weight
  24. spell — letters

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