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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. degree — temperature
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. pass — a permit
  6. fall — to drop
  7. dip — to sink
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. degree — an amount
  12. fall — the season
  13. tear — from crying
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. fall — to drop
  17. degree — from a university
  18. spring — the season
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. spring — of water
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. spring — a coil
  23. tear — to rip
  24. tear — from crying

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