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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. spell — letters
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. current — happening now
  10. current — of water
  11. game — wild animals
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. spell — magic
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. spell — a short time
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. game — a match
  23. current — electric
  24. dip — to sink

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