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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. land — a country
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. wake — a trail
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. land — to come down
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. land — ground
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. kick — in football
  16. saw — the tool
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. saw — the tool
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. dip — to sink
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. rush — hurry

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