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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. dip — to sink
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. face — part of the head
  7. cue — a hint
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. cue — a signal
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. cue — for pool
  12. mug — to rob
  13. drill — a practice
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. mug — a cup
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. face — to confront
  18. drill — army training
  19. mug — a face
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. drill — the tool
  23. face — to point toward
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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