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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. mug — a cup
  3. cue — a signal
  4. tear — from crying
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. cue — a hint
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. tear — to rip
  10. mug — a face
  11. bore — to tire
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. cue — for pool
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bore — to drill
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. tear — from crying
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. mug — to rob

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