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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rest — what's left
  5. content — the amount
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. land — to come down
  8. land — ground
  9. land — a country
  10. rest — a break
  11. rock — music
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — the fruit
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. content — happy
  16. rock — a stone
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. saw — the tool
  22. dip — to sink
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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