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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 120 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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. rash — hasty
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. dip — to sink
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. saw — the tool
  7. sharp — clever
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. club — for golf
  15. tube — the underground
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. club — for dancing
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. club — a group
  24. rash — a series

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