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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 116 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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. firm — a company
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. drill — the tool
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. drill — a practice
  9. kid — child
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. tear — to rip
  13. drill — army training
  14. kick — in football
  15. tear — from crying
  16. kid — to tease
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. firm — decided
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. dip — to sink
  21. firm — steady
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. tear — from crying

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