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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. rash — hasty
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. rash — a series
  5. saw — the tool
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — magic
  8. bass — low music
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bass — the fish
  15. spell — letters
  16. rock — a stone
  17. dip — to sink
  18. rock — music
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kick — in football
  24. saw — the tool

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