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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. wake — a trail
  4. dip — to sink
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — to handle
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. rash — a series
  11. rash — hasty
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. racket — a loud noise

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